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THRILLING  ADVENTURES 


AMONa  THE 


INDIANS: 


coMPRisiaro 


tljB  (giirlti  Mm  Wm^ 


AS  WEU  AS  OP 


INCIDENTS  IN  THE  RECENT  INDIAN  HOSTILITIES  IN 
MEXICO  AND  TEXAS. 


2oO-\^^ 


\ 

By  JOHN  FROST,  LL.D. 

■^ 

tmaoa  or  "  hotosul  hibtokt  of  the  uhitbd  states,"  «  pictobial  eistoby  or  thb 

WOBLD,"  Ac  Ac. 


ILLUSTRATED  WITH  NUMEEOUS  ENGRAVINGS, 
fBOM    DESIGNS    BY    W.    CBOOME    AND    OTHEB    DISTINGUISHED    A&TI8X8. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

PUBLISHED  BY  J.   W.   BRADLEY. 

LOWELL:    L.   P.  CROWN. 

1850. 


I 


*0     .  Jl 


Entered  Acconsiiro  to  act  of  Congbess,  in  the  iear  1849,  bt  JOHN  FROST, 
IN  the  Ci.ee.k'8  Ofpice  op  the  District  Cguht  por  the  Eastern  District  or 
Pennsylvania. 


STEREOTrPED   BT   L.  JOHNSON  AND   OO. 
PHILADELPHIA. 


jr^tt  Lll 


PREFACE. 


The  following  narratives  have  been  carefully  compiled 
from  a  large  mass  of  material  which  has  been  accumulated 
during  the  many  years  which  the  author  has  devoted  to  the 
study  of  American  history.  They  comprise  the  incidents 
which  were  considered  most  striking  and  remarkable,  and 
best  calculated  to  aflford  the  reader  an  adequate  idea  of  the 
Indians,  their  peculiar  modes  of  warfare,  and  their  general 
character. 

It  is  a  remarkable  fact  that  the  Indians,  as  a  mass,  remain 
now  nearly  in  the  same  state  as  they  were  found  by  the  first 
discoverers  of  the  New  World.  In  religion,  manners,  and 
customs,  they  are  as  wild  and  savage  as  ever.  The  western 
tribes  hunt  with  the  bow  and  arrow ;  and  still  make  war  with 
the  spear  and  shield.  Certain  tribes  originally  settled  east 
of  the  Mississippi,  have  become  to  a  certain  extent  Christian- 
ized and  civilized.  Their  history  and  present  state  would 
form  the  subject  of  a  very  interesting  volume  by  itself — a 
volume  which  is  a  desideratum  in  American  literature.  But 
the  wild  western  Indians  are  still  heathen  and  still  savage. 
Unless  an  enlightened  public  sentiment  shall  be  awakened, 
and  the  benevolent  exertions  of  the  American  people  shall  be 
interposed  to  civilize  and  reclaim  these  tribes,  there  is  every 
reason  to  fear  that  they  will  ultimately  become  extinct ;  so 
that  a  century  hence  not  a  living  representative  will  remain 
of  all  the  powerful  nations  which  formerly  possessed  this 
country.     Ignorance,   superstition,   and   mutual   dissension 


4  PREFACE. 

among  the  tribes  are  rapidly  wasting  them  away.  This  re- 
sult should  not  be  permitted  by  the  Christian  nation  which 
owes  to  them  and  their  dead  ancestors  the  noble  domain 
which  it  occupies.  The  facts  recorded  in  the  following  pages 
exhibit  traits  of  character  in  the  Indians,  which  command 
admiration  and  awaken  sympathy,  united  -with  other  traits 
which  excite  in  the  well  regulated  mind  the  liveliest  pity  for 
their  unhappy  and  misguided  state.  They  might  be  reclaimed, 
civilized,  and  saved.  But  while  they  are  regarded  as  enemies, 
possessing  desirable  lands,  or  as  mere  hunters  of  furs  for 
white  people,  subjects  of  conquest  or  speculation  merely^ 
there  is  little  hope  for  the  poor  Indian.  Here  and  there  a 
voice  is  raised  in  their  defence,  but  selfishness  and  prejudice 
are  many-tongued ;  and  the  cry  that  the  Indians  cannot  be 
reclaimed  and  must  perish,  is  the  prevailing  one.  It  is  to  be 
hoped  that  some  able  and  eloquent  defender  may  yet  take  up 
their  cause,  and  that  the  blessings  of  civilization  may  here- 
after preserve  a  remnant  of  the  once  numerous  and  powerful 
aborigines  of  North  America. 


CONTENTS. 


Intboduotion 9 

Captivity  and  Escape  of  Mrs.  Frances  Scott,  of  Washington 

County,  Yirginia  -        - 13 

Singular  Narrative  of  the  Adventures  of  Captain  Isaac  Steward, 

who  probably  saw  the  gold  mines  of  California  before  1782     21 

Singular  Prowess  of  a  Woman  in  a  Combat  with  Indians  -        -    24 

Thrilling  Incidents  of  Border  Warfare  in  Pennsylvania        -        28 

The  Banger's  Adventure 32 

Sufferings  of  Butler,  the  American  Mazeppa,  among  the  Indians    38 

Heroism  of  a  Woman        -------43 

Escape  of  Mrs.  Davis  from  the  Indians 45 

Singular  Execution  for  Murder  ------        49 

An  Extraordinary  Duel         -        -        -        -        -        -        -61 

The  Maiden's  Bock 55 

Shenandoah -----63 

Indian  Gratitude       --------66 

Daring  Feat  of  a  Grirl  during  an  Assault  by  Indians        -        -    72 

The  Faithful  Nurse 76 

Courage  and  Generosity  of  Pe-ta-la-sha-roo      -        -        -  *     -    80 

Magnanimity  of  a  Sioux 85 

Noble  Action  of  Lieutenant  Beall 86 

Massacre  at  Taos,  New  Mexico,  and  Death  of  Governor  Bent        92 

Adventures  of  Colonel  Hays  with  the  Indians     -        -        -        95 

Poe's  Adventure  with  two  Indians  * 100 

a8  5 


6  CONTENTS. 

Captain  Reid's  Battle  with  the  Lipan  Indians  -  -  -  -  104 
Fight  of  Colonel  Kinney  with  the  Camanche  Indians  -        -       107 

Attack  on  Cherry  Valley 110 

Major  McCulloch's  Adventure  with  the  Camanches  -  -  112 
Attack  upon  American  Train  Companies  -  -  -  ^  113 
Massacre  of  American  Volunteers  by  Indians      -        -        -      117 

The  Rose  of  Guadaloupe 119 

Indian  Fishing  in  New  Brunswick  -----  124 
Thrilling  Adventure  at  an  Indian  Burial-place        -        -        -  130 

A  Striking  Scene --      134 

Treeing  a  Bear 137 

Insurrection  of  the  Pueblos  in  New  Mexico         -        -        -      141 
Singular  Freak  of  a  Creek  Indian  ------  147 

Irruption  of  the  Camanches  into  Chihuahua        -        -        -      149 

Night  Attack  by  the  Pawnees 151 

Carson's  Adventures  with  the  Indians         -        -        -        -      154 

Battles  of  American  Volunteers  with  Indians  -        -        -        -  159 

Indian  Cruelty  to  a  Prisoner       -        -        -        -        -        -164 

Striking  Instance  of  Indian  Patriotism  -        -        -        -        -  168 

Indian  Sense  of  Propriety 170 

Personal  Encounter  with  two  Indians 172 

The  Prophet  of  the  Alleghany 176 

Tecumseh --.-  184 

M'Dougal  and  the  Indians  ------      190 

Paugus  and  Chamberlain       -------  198 

Indian  Children 209 

Wanou  and  the  English  Officer      -        -        -        -        -        -215 

Burning  of  Hannahs  Town         -        -        -        -        -        -218 

The  Lost  Sister  of  Wyoming 227 

Disaster  of  a  Party  of  Missouri  Traders  -  -  -  -  233 
Hunting  the  Moose -        -        -  236 


CONTENTS.  7 

The  Rifleman  of  Chippewa   .......  243 

The  Indian  and  the  Wild  Turkey 253 

The  Indian  and  the  Bear      -        -        -        -        -        -        -  259 

Attack  on  Haverhill  -        - 260 

Bobasheela 266 

Remarkable  Escape  from  the  Indians  -  -  -  -  -  281 
Massacre  at  Mimms's  Fort  --..-..  285 
American  Forces  attacked  by  Camanches  -  -  -  .  290 
Death  of  Captain  Smith,  a  Santa  Fe  Trader  -  -  .  -  291 
Adventure  with  a  Party  of  Yutas       -        -        -        -        .      292 

Hunting  the  Buffalo  by  Stratagem 297 

Wonderful  Escape  of  Tom  Higgins 298 

March  of  the  Sioux 806 

The  Murderer's  Creek 309 

The  Scalp-Dance 314 

Adventure  of  an  Indian  Woman 318 

An  Indian  Lodge  ........  327 

Silouee 329 

A  Buffalo  Hunt   -        - 338 

Sufferings  of  Captain  Bard's  Family  .....      343 

Black  Bird 346 

Indian  Pipe-Dance  -.-..-..  343 
Escape  from  Torture  -  -  -  -.  .  .  -351 
Perilous  Adventure  of  Captain  Brady  .  .  -  -  353 
Story  of  Indian  Revenge  -  -  -  .  .  -  -354 
Mandan  Bull  Dance  ---.-.-.  357 
Singular  Scene  in  an  Indian  Council  -  -  -  -  -  369 
Narrative  of  an  Escape  from  the  Indians    -        -        -        -      372 

Early  Settlers  of  Bedford  County 379 

Indian  Attack  on  Dover,  New  Hampshire  -  -  *  -  381 
Indian  Gratitude  for  Favours         -        -        -        -        -        -387 


B  CONTENTS. 


ttm 


Escape  from  Indians  -        -        -        -        -        -        -      388 

Murder  of  a  Family  in  New  Hampshire         -        -        -        -  391 

Dance  of  Ojibbeway  Indians  (in  London)    -        .        -        -      392 

Murder  of  a  Family  in  Tennessee 402 

Depredations  by  the  Sioux -      404 

Indian  Horsemanship  -        -        -        -        -*-        -        .  406 

Battle  of  Oriskany -        -         -       412 

Fight  between  the  Crow  and  the  Blackfeet  Indians-        -        -  415 

Savage  Patriotism 419 

Farmer's  Brother 421 

Indian  Bear  Hunt -         -      424 

The  Catastrophe  ---------  429 

Story  of  G-eorge  Ash 432 

The  Sioux,  or  Dacotas,  and  their  Chief  ^ahktageli,  or  Big 
Soldier    -        -        - 441 


In  the  period  of  near 
two  centuries  and  a  half, 
which  has  elapsed  since  the 
first  settlement  of  North 
America  by  the  British 
colonists,  there  have  oc- 
curred a  great  number  of 
wars  between  the  white 
people  and  the  Indians, 
both  parties  struggling  with 
equal  animosity  for  the  pos- 
session of  the  soil.  The  re- 
sult has  been  the  almost 
total  extermination  of  the 
Indians;  and  the  present 
peaceful  possession  by  the 


'////// 


10  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

whites  of  what  was  once  the  Indian's  home.  In  these 
wars  there  has  been  much  of  thrilling  and  romantic 
adventure ;  many  examples  of  courage,  fortitude,  con- 
tempt of  danger,  and  heroic  endurance  of  suflfering — 
examples  which  serve  at  once  to  illustrate  the  hardy 
character  of  our  ancestors,  and  the  marked  and  origi- 
nal traits  of  their  savage  enemies.  The  narratives 
of  these  adventures  have  been  fortunately  preserved 
in  many  instances.  Some  of  them  are  given  by  the 
sufferers  themselves ;  and  others  were  so  conspicuous 
as  to  find  a  place  in  local  or  national  annals. 

They  abound  in  scenes  of  adventure  and  danger,  to 
which  it  is  hardly  possible  to  find  a  parallel  in  the 
annals  of  war.  Such  scenes  display  traits  of  char- 
acter in  more  vivid  colours  than  does  the  most 
laboured  description.  Cruelty,  at  which  the  heart 
sickens ;  vindictiveness,  which  knows  no  end  and  no 
mitigation;  skill,  ingenuity  and  endurance  in  war; 
heroism,  gratitude  to  friends,  treachery  toward  ene- 
mies, stoicism,  keen  observation,  and  the  most  deli- 
cate sense  of  honour — all  these,  the  characteristics 
of  an  Indian,  are  to  be  studied,  not  in  the  pages 
of  the  moralist,  but  in  the  narrative  of  adventures. 
But  in  all  this  there  is  something  more  than  even  a 
display  of  character  and  a  tale  of  adventure.  There 
is  a  moral  to  be  learned.  The  qualities  which  we 
abhor  in  a  hostile  Indian  are  not  peculiar  to  Indians. 
They  are  possessed  by  all  men,  they  exist  in  all 
societies.  Civilization  modifies,  perhaps  lessens  them 
in  the  white  man ;  and  if  by  exhibiting  the  evils  of 
their  unlimited  license  in  the  poor  Indian,  we  could 


THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 


11 


teach  our  own  people  to  prize  the  blessings  of  civili- 
zation ;  if  we  could  induce  the  young  to  apply  those 
blessings  to  the  extirpation  of  their  own  wild  pas- 
sions, then  would  the  moral  of  our  "  Thrilling  Ad- 
ventures" be  complete.  It  has  been  our  aim  to  accom- 
plish this  object.  We  have  endeavoured  to  display 
the  character  of  the  Indian  and  his  enemies  in  their 
true  colours,  and  to  draw  from  the  picture  a  useful 
moral.  Without  further  preamble  we  now  proceed  to 
our  narratives. 


On  Wednesday  the  29th  day  of  June,  1785,  late 
in  the  evening,  a  large  company  of  armed  men  passed 
the  house,  on  their  way  to  Kentucky :  some  part  of 
whom  encamped  within  two  miles.  Mr.  Scott,  living 
on  a  frontier  part,  generally  made  the  family  watch- 
ful ;  but  on  this  calamitous  day,  after  so  large  a  body 
of  men  had  passed,  shortly  after  night,  he  lay  down 
in  his  bed,  and  imprudently  left  one  of  the  doors  of 
his  house  open ;  the  children  were  also  in  bed  and 
asleep.  Mrs.  Scott  was  nearly  undressed,  when,  to 
her  unutterable  astonishment  and  horror,  she  saw, 
rushing  in  through  the  door  that  was  left  open,  painted 
savages  with  presented  arms,  raising  a  hideous  shriek. 
Mr.  Scott  being  awake,  instantly  jumped  out  of  his 
bed,  but  was  immediately  fired  at :  he  forced  his  way 
through  the  middle  of  the  enemy,  and  got  out  of  the 

B  13 


14  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

door,  but  fell  a  few  paces  from  thence.  An  Indian 
seized  Mrs.  Scott,  and  ordered  her  to  a  particular  spot, 
and  not  to  move  :  others  stabbed  and  cut  the  throats 
of  the  three  youngest  children  in  their  bed,  and  after- 
wards lifted  them  up  and  dashed  them  down  on  the 
floor,  near  the  mother.  The  eldest,  a  beautiful  girl  of 
eight  years  old,  awoke,  and  escaped  out  of  the  bed, 
and  ran  to  her  parent,  and,  with  the  most  plaintive 
accents,  cried,  "  0  mamma !  mamma !  save  me."  The 
mother,  in  the  deepest  anguish  of  spirit,  and  with  a 
flood  of  tears,  entreated  the  savages  to  spare  her  child ; 
but,  with  a  brutal  fierceness,  they  tomahawked  and 
stabbed  her  in  the  mother's  arms.  Adjacent  to  Mr. 
Scott's  dwelling-house  another  family  lived,  of  the 
name  of  Ball.  The  Indians  also  attacked  them  at 
the  same  instant  they  did  Mr.  Scott's ;  but  the  door 
being  shut,  the  enemy  fired  into  the  house  through  an 
opening  between  two  logs,  and  killed  a  young  lad,  and 
then  endeavoured  to  force  the  door  open ;  but  a  sur- 
viving brother  fired  through  the  door,  and  the  enemy 
desisted,  and  went  off*:  the  remaining  part  of  the 
family  ran  out  of  the  house  and  escaped.  In  Mr. 
Scott's  house  were  four  good  rifles  well  loaded,  and  a 
good  deal  of  clothing  and  furniture,  part  of  which 
belonged  to  people  that  had  left  it  on  their  way  to 
Kentucky.  The  Indians  loaded  themselves  with  the 
plunder,  being  thirteen  in  number,  then  speedily  made 
off*,  and  continued  travelling  all  night.  Next  morning 
their  chief  allotted  to  each  man  his  share ;  and  de- 
tached nine  of"  a  party  to  steal  horses  from  the  in- 
habitants on  Clinch.     The  eleventh  day  after  Mrs 


CAPTIVITY    OF    MRS.  SCOTT.  16 

Scott's  captivity,  the  four  Indians  that  had  her  in 
charge,  stopped  at  a  place  fixed  upon  for  a  rendez- 
vous, and  to  hunt,  being  now  in  a  great  want  of  pro- 
visions. Three  went  out,  and  the  chief,  being  an  old 
man,  was  left  to  take  care  of  the  prisoner,  who,  by 
this  time,  expressed  a  willingness  to  proceed  to  the 
Indian  towns,  which  seemed  to  have  the  desired  effect 
of  lessening  her  keeper's  vigilance.  In  the  day  time, 
as  the  old  man  was  graining  a  deer  skin,  the  captive, 
pondering  on  her  situation,  and  anxiously  looking  for 
an  opportunity  to  make  her  escape,  took  the  resolu- 
tion, and  went  to  the  Indian  carelessly,  asked  liberty 
to  go  a  small  distance  to  a  stream  of  water,  to  wash 
the  blood  off  her  apron,  that  had  remained  besmeared 
since  the  fatal  night  of  the  murder  of  her  little 
daughter.  He  told  her  in  the  English  tongue  "  go 
along ;"  she  then  passed  by  him,  h^s  face  being  in  a 
contrary  direction  from  that  she  was  going,  and  he 
very  busy.  She,  after  getting  to  the  water,  proceeded 
on  without  delay,  made  to  a  high  barren  mountain, 
and  travelled  until  late  in  the  evening,  when  she 
came  down  into  the  valley,  in  search  of  the  track  she 
had  been  taken  along ;  hoping  thereby  to  find  the  way 
back,  without  the  risk  of  being  lost,  and  perishing 
with  hunger  in  uninhabited  parts.  On  coming  across 
the  valley  to  the  river  side,  supposed  to  be  the  easi> 
erly  branch  of  Kentucky  river,  she  observed  in  the 
sand,  tracks  of  two  men  that  had  gone  up  the  river, 
and  had  just  returned.  She  concluded  these  to  have 
been  her  pursuers,  which  excited  emotions  of  grati- 
tude and   thankfulness  to  Divine  providence  for  so 


16  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

timely  a  deliverance.  Being  without  any  provisions, 
having  no  kind  of  weapon  or  tool  to  assist  her  in 
getting  any,  and  being  almost  destitute  of  clothing, 
also  knowing  that  a  vast  tract  of  rugged  high  moun- 
tains intervened,  between  where  she  was  and  the 
inhabitants  eastwardly,  and  the  distance  of  the  Ken- 
tucky settlements  unknown,  and  she  almost  as  ignor- 
ant as  a  child  of  the  method  of  steering  through  the 
woods,  her  situation  was  truly  desolate.  But  certain 
death,  either  by  hunger  or  wild  beasts,  seemed  prefer- 
able to  being  in  the  power  of  human  beings,  who 
had  excited  in  her  mind  such  horror.  She  addressed 
Heaven  for  protection,  and,  taking  courage,  proceeded 
onward.  After  travelling  three  days,  she  had  nearly 
met  with  the  Indians,  as  she  supposed,  that  had  been 
sent  to  Clinch  to  steal  horses,  but  providentially  hear- 
ing their  approach,  she  concealed  herself  behind  a  tree 
until  the  enemy  had  passed.  This,  giving  a  fresh 
alarm,  and  her  mind  being  filled  with  consternation, 
she  got  lost,  proceeding  backwards  and  forwards  for 
several  days.  At  length  she  came  to  a  river,  that 
seemed  to  come  from  the  east;  concluding  it  was 
Sandy  river,  she  accordingly  resolved  to  trace  it  to  its 
source,  which  is  adjacent  to  the  Clinch  settlement. 
After  proceeding  up  the  same  several  days,  she  came 
to  where  the  river  runs  through  the  great  Laurel 
mountain,  where  is  a  prodigious  water-fall,  and  nu- 
merous high  craggy  cliffs  along  the  water  edge ;  that 
way  seemed  impassable,  the  mountain  steep  and  difii- 
cult ;  however,  our  mournful  traveller  concluded  that 
the  latter  way  was  the  best.     She  therefore  ascended 


Mrs.  Scott  in  danger  of  recaptiire. 
3  B  2 


CAPTIVITY    OF    MRS.  SCOTT.  1^ 

for  some  time,  but  coming  to  a  range  of  inaccessible 
rocks,  she  turned  her  course  towards  the  foot  of  the 
mountain  and  the  river  side.  After  getting  into  a  deep 
gully,  and  passing  over  several  high  steep  rocks,  she 
reached  the  river  side,  where,  to  her  inexpressible 
affliction,  she  found  that  a  perpendicular  rock,  or 
rather  one  that  hung  over,  of  fifteen  or  twenty  feet 
high,  formed  the  bank.  Here  a  solemn  pause  took 
place ;  she  essayed  to  return,  but  the  height  of  the 
steeps  and  rocks  she  had  descended  over,  prevented 
her.  She  then  returned  to  the  edge  of  the  precipice, 
and  viewed  the  bottom  of  it,  as  the  certain  spot  where 
she  must  quickly  end  all  her  troubles,  or  remain  on  the 
top  to  pine  away  with  hunger,  or  be  devoured  by  wild 
beasts.  After  serious  meditation,  and  devout  exercises, 
she  determined  on  leaping  from  the  height,  and  accord- 
ingly jumped  off.  Although  the  place  where  she  had  to 
alight  was  covered  with  uneven  rocks,  not  a  bone  was 
broken ;  but,  being  exceedingly  stunned  with  the  fall, 
she  remained  unable  to  proceed  for  some  space  of  time. 
The  dry  season  caused  the  river  to  be  shallow — she 
travelled  in  it,  and,  where  she  could,  by  its  edge,  until 
she  got  through  the  mountain,  a  distance  probably 
of  several  miles.  After  this,  as  she  was  travelling 
along  the  bank  of  the  river,  a  venomous  snake  bit 
her  on  the  ankle.  She  had  strength  to  kill  it,  and 
knowing  its  kind,  concluded  that  death  must  soon 
overtake  her.  By  this  time,  Mrs.  Scott  was  reduced 
to  a  mere  skeleton  with  fatigue,  hunger,  and  grief; 
probably  this  state  of  her  body  was  the  means  of  pre- 
serving her  from  the  effects  of  the  poison :  be  that  as 


20  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

it  may,  so  it  was,  that  very  little  pain  succeeded  the 
bite,  and  what  little  swelling  there  was  fell  into 
her  feet.  Our  wanderer  now  left  the  river,  and  after 
proceeding  a  good  distance,  she  came  to  where  the 
valley  parted  into  two,  each  leading  a  different  course. 
Here  a  painful  suspense  again  took  place :  the  poor 
woman  was  almost  exhausted,  and  certain,  if  she  was 
led  far  out  of  the  way,  she  would  never  see  a  human 
creature.  During  this  suspense,  a  beautiful  bird 
passed* close  by  her,  fluttering  along  the  ground,  and 
went  out  of  sight  up  one  of  the  valleys.  This  drew 
her  attention,  and  whilst  considering  what  it  might 
mean,  another  bird  of  the  same  appearance  in  like 
manner  fluttered  past  her,  and  took  the  same  valley 
the  other  had  done.  This  determined  her  choice  of  the 
way ;  and  on  the  second  day  after,  which  was  the  11th 
of  August,  she  reached  that  settlement  on  Clinch  called 
New  Garden ;  whereas  (she  is  since  informed  by  wood- 
men) had  she  taken  the  other  valley,  it  would  have 
led  her  back  towards  the  Ohio.  Mrs.  Scott  relates, 
that  the  Indians  told  her,  that  the  party  was  com- 
posed of  four  different  nations,  two  of  whom  she 
thinks  they  named  Delawa.res  and  Mingoes. 

She  further  relates,  that  during  her  wandering  from 
the  10th  of  July  to  the  11th  of  August,  she  had  no 
other  subsistence  but  chewing  and  swallowing  the 
juice  of  young  cane  stalks,  sassafras  leaves,  and  some 
other  plants  she  did  not  know  the  names  of;  that,  on 
her  journey,  she  saw  buffaloes,  elks,  deer,  and  fre- 
quently bears  and  wolves ;  not  one  of  which,  although 
some  passed  very  near  her,  offered  to  do  her  the  least 


CAPTAIN    ISAAC    STEWART.  21 

harm.  One  day  a  bear  came  near  her,  with  a  young 
fawn  in  his  mouth,  and,  on  discovering  her  he  dropped 
his  prey  and  ran  off.  Hunger  prompted  her  to  go 
and  take  the  flesh  and  eat  it :  but,  on  reflection,  she 
desisted,  thinking  that  the  bear  might  return  and  de- 
vour her ;  besides  she  had  an  aversion  to  taste  raw 
flesh.  Mrs.  Scott  long  continued  in  a  low  state  of 
health,  remaining  inconsolable  for  the  loss  of  her 
family,  particularly  bewailing  the  cruel  death  of  her 
little  daughter. 


^iBpIar  l^ffltrattee  of  t|«  ^^SsentMe^  of  ©aptafu  Ijfaac  ^tetoart, 
fcfjo  prolans  Jfato  t^e  goID  mfnejj  of  ®a!ifonifa  l^efore  HW^^ 

This  account  we  find  in  a  selection  of  narratives  of 
outrages  committed  by  the  Indians,  published  at  Car- 
lisle by  Archibald  Loudon  in  1808.  A  memorandum 
by  Dr.  Mease,  in  the  margin,  informs  us  that  he  was 
from  South  Carolina ;  and  the  doctor  gives  a  reference 
to  the  Columbian  Magazine,  vol.  i.  p.  320,  in  proof 
Loudon  gives  the  narrative  as  taken  from  Stewart*s 
own  mouth  in  March,  1782.  It  appears  to  us  quite 
clear  that  Stewart  must  have  actually  visited  the 
mines  of  the  Sacramento  and  Gila,  which  are  now 
attracting  so  much  attention.  This  narrative  is  as 
follows : — 

I  was  taken  prisoner  about  fifty  miles  to  the  west- 
ward of  Fort  Pitt,  about  eighteen  years  ago,  by  the 
Indians,  and  was  carried  by  them  to  the  Wabash,  with 


22  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

many  more  white  men,  who  were  executed  with  cir- 
cumstances of  horrid  barbarity ;  it  was  my  good  for- 
tune to  call  forth  the  sympathy  of  Eose,  called  the 
good  woman  of  the  town,  who  was  permitted  to  re- 
deem me  from  the  flames,  by  giving,  as  my  ransom, 
a  horse. 

After  remaining  two  years  in  bondage  amongst  the 
Indians,  a  Spaniard  came  to  the  nation,  having  been 
sent  from  Mexico  on  discoveries.  He  made  applica- 
tion to  the  chiefs  for  redeeming  me  and  another  white 
man  in  the  like  situation,  a  native  of  Wales,  named 
John  Davey;  which  they  complied  with,  and  we 
took  our  departure  in  company  with  the  Spaniard, 
and  travelled  to  the  westward,  crossing  the  Missis- 
sippi near  la  Riviere  Rouge,  or  Red  River,  up  which 
we  travelled  seven  hundred  miles,  when  we  came  to 
a  nation  of  Indians  remarkably  white,  and  whose 
hair  was  of  a  reddish  colour,  at  least  mostly  so ;  they 
lived  on  the  bank  of  a  small  river  that  empties  itself 
into  the  Red  River,  which  is  called  the  River  Post. 
In  the  morning  of  the  day  after  our  arrival  amongst 
these  Indians,  the  Welchman  informed  me,  that  he 
was  determined  to  remain  with  them,  giving  as  a 
reason  that  he  understood  their  language,  it  being 
very  little  difierent  from  the  Welch.  My  curiosity 
was  excited  very  much  by  this  information,  and  I 
went  with  my  companion  to  the  chief  men  of  the 
town,  who  informed  him  (in  a  language  I  had  no 
knowledge  of,  and  which  had  no  ajfifinity  to  that  of 
any  other  Indian  tongue  I  ever  heard)  that  their  fore- 
fathers of  this  nation  came  from  a  foreign  country, 


CAPTAIN   ISAAC    STEWART.  28 

and  landed  on  the  east  side  of  the  Mississippi,  describ- 
ing particularly  the  country  now  called  West  Florida, 
and  that  on  the  Spaniards  taking  possession  of  Mexico, 
they  fled  to  their  then  abode ;  and  as  a  proof  of  the 
truth  of  what  he  advanced,  he  brought  forth  rolls  of 
parchment,  which  were  carefully  tied  up  in  otter  skins, 
on  which  were  large  characters,  written  with  blue  ink ; 
the  characters  I  did  not  understand,  and  the  Welch- 
man  being  unacquainted  with  letters,  even  of  his  own 
language,  I  was  not  able  to  know  the  meaning  of  the 
writing.  They  are  a  bold,  hardy,  intrepid  people, 
very  warlike,  and  the  women  beautiful,  when  com- 
pared with  other  Indians. 

We  left  this  nation,  after  being  kindly  treated  and 
requested  to  remain  among  them,  being  only  two  in 
number,  the  Spaniard  and  myself,  and  we  continued 
our  course  up  the  waters  of  the  Ked  River,  till  we 
came  to  a  nation  of  Indians,  called  Windots,  that 
never  had  seen  a  white  man  before,  and  who  were  un- 
acquainted with  the  use  of  fire-arms.  On  our  way, 
we  came  to  a  transparent  stream,  which,  to  our  great 
surprise,  we  found  to  descend  into  the  earth,  and,  at 
the  foot  of  a  ridge  of  mountains,  disappeared ;  it  was 
remarkably  clear,  and,  near  to  it,  we  found  the  bones 
of  two  animals,  of  such  a  size  that  a  man  might  walk 
under  the  ribs,  and  the  teeth  were  very  heavy. 

The  nation  of  Indians  who  had  never  seen  a  white 
man  lived  near  the  source  of  the  Red  River,  and 
there  the  Spaniard  discovered,  to  his  great  joy,  gold 
dust  in  the  brooks  and  rivulets ;  and  being  informed 
by  the  Indians,  that  a  nation  lived  farther  west,  who 


24  .      THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

were  very  rich,  and  whose  arrows  were  pointed  with 
gold,  we  set  out  in  the  hope  of  reaching  their  country, 
and  travelled  about  five  hundred  miles,  till  we  came 
to  a  ridge  of  mountains,  which  we  crossed,  and  from 
which  the  streams  run  due  west,  and  at  the  foot  of 
the  mountains,  the  Spaniard  gave  proofs  of  joy  and 
great  satisfaction,  having  found  gold  in  great  abun- 
dance. I  was  not  acquainted  with  the  nature  of  the 
ore,  but  I  lifted  up  what  he  called  gold  dust  from  the 
bottom  of  the  little  rivulets  issuing  from  the  cavities 
of  the  rocks,  and  it  had  a  yellow  cast,  and  was  re- 
markably heavy;  but  so  much  was  the  Spaniard 
satisfied,  he  relinquished  his  plan  of  prosecuting  his 
journey,  being  perfectly  convinced  that  he  had  found 
a  country  full  of  gold. 

On  our  return  he  took  a  different  route,  and,  when 
we  reached  the  Mississippi,  we  went  in  a  canoe  to  the 
mouth  of  the  Missouri,  where  we  found  a  Spanish 
post ;  there  I  was  discharged  by  the  Spaniard,  went 
to  the  country  of  the  Chickesaws,  from  thence  to  the 
Cherokees,  and  soon  reached  Ninety-six,  in  South 
Carolina. 


lingular  Proto^is^  of  a  SEomaH  in  a  (S^umliai  tott^  li^tanijf. 

The  lady,  who  is  the  heroine  of  this  story,  is  named 
Experience  Bozarth.  She  lived  on  a  creek  called 
Dunkard  creek,  in  the  south-west  corner  of  West- 
moreland county,  Pennsylvania.     About  the  middle 


Mrs.  Bozarth  defending  her  Dwelling 


SINGULAR    PROWESS    OF    A    WOMAN.  27 

of  March,  1779,  two  or  three  families  who  were  afraid 
to  stay  at  home,  gathered  to  her  house,  and  there 
stayed ;  looking  on  themselves  to  be  safer  than  when 
all  scattered  about  at  their  own  houses. 

On  a  certain  day  some  of  the  children  thus  col- 
lected, came  running  in  from  play  in  great  haste,  say- 
ing, there  were  ugly  red  men.  One  of  the  men  in 
the  house  stepped  to  the  door,  where  he  received  a 
ball  in  the  side  of  his  breast,  which  caused  him  to  fall 
back  into  the  house.  The  Indian  was  immediately  in 
over  him,  and  engaged  with  another  man  who  was 
in  the  house.  The  man  tossed  the  Indian  on  a  bed, 
and  called  for  a  knife  to  kill  him.  (Observe  these 
were  all  the  men  that  were  in  the  house.)  Now  Mrs. 
Bozarth  appears  the  only  defence,  who,  not  finding  a 
knife  at  hand,  took  up  an  axe  that  lay  by,  and  with 
one  blow  cut  out  the  brains  of  the  Indian.  At  that 
instant,  (for  all  was  instantaneous,)  a  second  Indian 
entered  the  door,  and  shot  the  man  dead,  who  was 
engaged  with  the  Indian  on  the  bed.  Mrs.  Bozarth 
turned  to  this  second  Indian,  and  with  her  axe  gave 
him  several  large  cuts,  some  of  which  let  his  entrails 
appear.  He  bawled  out.  Murder,  murder.  On  this, 
sundry  other  Indians  (who  had  hitherto  been  fully 
employed,  killing  some  children  out  of  doors)  came 
rushing  to  his  rehef ;  one  of  whose  heads  Mrs.  Bo- 
zarth clove  in  two  with  her  axe,  as  he  stuck  it  in  at 
the  door,  which  laid  him  flat  upon  the  soil.  Another 
snatched  hold  of  the  wounded,  bellowing  fellow,  and 
pulled  him  out  of  doors,  and  Mrs.  Bozarth,  with  the 
assistance  of  the  man  who  was  first  shot  in  the  door, 


28  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

and  by  this  time  a  little  recovered,  shut  the  door  after 
them,  and  made  it  fast,  where  they  kept  garrison  for 
several  days,  the  dead  white  man  and  dead  Indian 
both  in  the  house  with  them,  and  the  Indians  about 
the  house  besieging  them.  At  length  they  were  re- 
lieved by  a  party  sent  for  that  purpose. 

This  whole  affair,  to  the  shutting  of  the  door,  was 
not  perhaps  more  than  three  minutes  in  acting. 


In  the  year  1779  the  Indians  began  to  make  in- 
roads into  the  settlements  of  Northumberland  county, 
and  coming  to  the  house  of  Andrew  Armstrong,  made 
him  prisoner.  His  wife  escaped  by  concealing  herself 
under  a  bed  until  after  they  were  gone. 

About  this  time  two  families,  flying  from  the  In- 
dians, were  attacked  at  a  place  called  Warrior's  Run. 
The  men,  Durham  and  Macknight,  were  behind,  driv- 
ing their  cattle ;  their  wives,  riding  before,  were  fired 
upon  by  the  Indians.  Mrs.  Durham's  child  was  shot 
dead  in  her  arms,  at  sight  of  which  she  fainted,  and 
fell  from  her  horse ;  the  other,  being  unhurt,  rode  on 
and  escaped;  the  men,  being  alarmed,  fled  precipi- 
tately, and  escaped.  While  Mrs.  Durham  remained 
insensible,  she  was  scalped,  but  reviving,  escaped  to  a 
place  of  safety,  and  recovered. 

A  party  of  Indians  having  made  two  girls  prisoners 
in  Buffalo  valley,  passed  on  to  Penn's  valley,  where 
they  discovered,  from  the  top  of  a  mountain,  a  com- 


Thrilling  Adventure  of  two  G-irls 
c  2 


BORDER  "WARFARE  IN  PENNSYLVANIA.      SI 

pany  of  reapers  in  a  valley.  Leaving  the  girls  with 
one  Indian,  they  proceeded  to  attack  the  reapers. 
After  they  were  gone,  the  Indian  lay  down  to  rest ; 
soon  afterwards  it  began  to  rain,  and  one  of  the  girls, 
on  pretence  of  sheltering  him,  covered  him  with 
leaves ;  then  seizing  an  axe,  she  sunk  it  into  his  head. 
The  girls  then  fled  towards  the  reapers,  but  being  dis- 
covered by  the  Indians,  they  were  fired  at,  and  one 
of  them  killed;  the  other  escaped  and  gave  the  reap- 
ers information  of  the  enemy.  A  company  was  col- 
lected and  went  in  pursuit  of  them;  but  they 
retreated,  carrying  the  dead  Indian  with  them. 

The  inhabitants  of  Northumberland  county,  in 
order  to  defend  themselves  from  the  Indians,  built 
Freelan's,  Bosly's,  Bready's,  Wallace's,  and  Broome's 
forts.  Captain  Bready  was  killed  while  bringing  pro- 
visions to  the  garrison.  By  the  assistance  of  these 
forts,  the  incursions  of  the  Indians  were  more  eflfect- 
ually  opposed. 

A  party  of  Indians,  in  one  of  their  incursions  into 
Northumberland,  captured  Peter  Pence,  another  man, 
and  a  boy.  After  travelling  through  snow  till  night, 
and  being  much  fatigued,  they  lay  down.  When  the 
Indians  were  all  asleep.  Pence  got  his  hands  loose,  and 
communicated  his  design  of  escaping  to  the  other  man, 
who  refused  to  assist  him ;  he  then  instructed  the  boy 
in  the  scheme  he  proposed  to  execute.  They  first 
made  themselves  masters  of  all  the  guns ;  then  placing 
the  boy  at  a  small  distance  from  them  with  the  gun. 
Pence  with  a  tomahawk,  as  soon  as  the  boy  fired, 
fell  upon  them  and  killed  two,  the  rest  started  up  and 


32  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

fled  precipitately,  without  their  guns.  Information 
was  afterwards  received,  that  those  who  fled  were  all 
starved  to  death  but  one ;  being  destitute  of  the  means 
of  procuring  provisions.  The  two  men  and  the  boy 
returned  in  safety. 


A  correspondent  of  the  Knickerbocker,  after  de- 
scribing a  visit  to  the  residence  of  a  very  old  gentle- 
man. Dr.  Blank,  in  the  western  part  of  Massachusetts, 
relates  the  following  details  of  an  adventure,  during 
the  old  French  war : 

At  nineteen  years  of  age,  he  joined  the  army  of 
the  provinces  that  in  1755  essayed  to  take  Crown 
Point  from  the  French.  He  marched  to  the  lakes 
with  Colonel  Ephraim  Williams,  than  whom  a  more 
gallant  man  never  breathed  the  air  of  New  England. 
The  doctor  fought  under  his  command  at  Lake  George, 
on  the  memorable  eighth  of  September ;  saw,  or  imar 
gined  he  saw,  the  fall  of  his  brave  leader ;  and  is  quite 
sure  that  he  put  a  bullet  into  the  French  ofiicer,  Mons. 
St.  Pierre.  The  next  year  he  joined  Kogers'  company 
of  Rangers,  and  was  stationed  with  a  party  of  them  at 
Fort  Ann,  not  far  from  where  Whitehall  now  stands. 
But  at  that  day  it  was  a  "  dark  and  bloody  ground ;" 
a  frontier  station  in  the  forests,  which  were  filled 
with  rival  savages  attached  to  France  or  England. 

One  day,  in  mid-winter,  eight  rangers,  with  a  ser- 
geant, were  ordered  out  on  some  service,  the  doctor 


THE    RANGERS   ADVENTURE. 


sa 


did  not  know  what,  but  probably  to  seize  some  strag- 
gling Frenchman  about  Ticonderoga  or  Crown  Point, 
and  bring  him  to  the  fort,  for  the  sake  of  obtaining 
intelligence.  He  was  himself  of  the  party.  A  narrow 
road,  or  rather  path,  led  northward  toward  Canada, 
and  they  followed  it  for  several  hours.  There  had 
just  been  a  heavy  fall  of  snow;  all  the  pines  and 
hemlocks  in  the  forest  were  loaded  thick  with  it;  and 
as  the  afternoon  was  still  and  clear,  only  occasional 
flakes  or  light  masses  dropped  from  the  burdened 
boughs  like  feathers.  These  circumstances  were 
stamped  on  the  old  man's  mind,  seeming  like  a  con- 
stantly recurring  dream.  The  rangers  waded  in 
Indian  file  through  the  snow,  and  as  danger  was  ap- 
prehended, a  man  was  placed  some  rods  in  advance, 
one  on  each  flank,  and  another  behind.  This  last, 
was  the  doctor  himself,  "  and  this  was  the  gun  I  car- 
ried," said  he,  taking  a  short  heavy  piece  from  a 
corner.  They  saw  no  signs  of  the  enemy :  there  was 
no  sound  but  the  note  of  the  little  "  Chick-a-dee-dee," 
«!o  familiar  to  the  pine  woods  in  winter. 


Chickadee. 


34  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

At  length,  they  descended  into  a  hollow :  the  frozen 
sheet  of  Lake  George  lay  not  far  on  to  the  left,  and 
a  steep  hill  on  the  right.  The  ground,  a  short  distance 
before  them,  was  low  and  swampy,  and  a  little  brook 
had  spread  itself  out  on  the  path,  making  a  frozen 
space,  free  from  trees,  across  which  their  advanced 
man  was  now  slowly  trampling,  crushing  his  boots 
into  the  ice  and  water  at  every  step.  He  paused  sud- 
denly, turned  sharply  round,  and  gave  the  low  whistle 
appointed  as  the  signal  of  alarm.  He  had  seen  the 
tracks  of  many  moccasined  feet  in  the  fresh  snow  be- 
yond. There  was  not  time  to  think ;  the  loud  report 
of  a  gun  broke  the  stillness.  The  ranger  gave  a 
shrill  scream,  leaped  four  feet  into  the  air  and  fell 
flat.  Instantly  the  Indian  yell  burst  from  the  woods 
on  our  right  and  left,  followed  by  the  stunning  rattle 
of  more  than  fifty  guns,  and  not  a  man  of  the  rangers 
but  one  ever  moved  alive  from  the  spot  where  he  stood 
transfixed  with  surprise  at  the  sudden  death  of  his 
comrade. 

.That  man  was  our  hero,  whose  position,  far  behind 
the  rest,  saved  him.  He  remembered  the  panic  felt 
at  the  fierce  burst  of  yells  and  musketry,  and  the  sud- 
den rush  of  the  savage  swarm  from  their  ambush, 
upon  his  fallen  comrades ;  and,  in  the  next  instant, 
that  his  memory  could  recall,  he  was  flying  back  to- 
ward the  fort.  He  heard  sharp,  sudden  yelps  behind 
him,  and  glancing  back,  saw  two  Indians  bounding 
on  his  track.  He  ran  a  mile,  he  should  think,  with- 
out turning  or  hearing  a  single  sound ;  then  turning 
his  head,  saw  an  Indian  leaping  silent  as  a  spectre. 


The  Ranger's  Pursuer  Impaled. 


THE  ranger's  adventure.  86 

witliin  a  few  rods  of  him.  With  admirable  coolness, 
he  turned  quickly  round,  and  raising  his  gun  with  a 
steady  hand,  fired  with  such  good  effect  that  the  Abe- 
naki pitched  forward  to  the  ground,  and  his  shaven 
head  ploughed  up  the  snow,  for  yards,  by  the  impulse 
of  his  headlong  pursuit.  The  young  soldier  turned 
and  fled  again,  and  as  he  did  so  he  heard  the  report 
of  the  other  Indian's  gun,  followed  by  the  loud  hum- 
ming of  the  ball.  So  alert  and  attentive  were  his 
faculties,  that  he  observed  where  the  bullet  struck 
upon  a  loaded  bough  in  front  of  him ;  scattering  the 
glittering  particles  of  snow. 

The  path  now  led  downward  with  a  steep  descent ; 
at  the  bottom  an  ancient  pine  tree  had  fallen  across 
it,  whose  sharp  broken  branches  rose  up  perpendicu- 
larly from  the  prostrate  trunk  four  or  five  feet  from 
the  ground,  blocking  up  the  way,  like  a  bristling 
chevaux-de-frise.  The  rangers  had  previously  turned 
aside  to  avoid  it.  There  was  no  time  to  do  so  now. 
The  doctor's  limbs  were  small  and  light,  but  as  active 
as  a  deer's,  and  the  Indian's  tomahawk  was  close  be- 
hind. Without  hesitating,  he  ran  down  and  sprang 
into  the  air.  His  foot  caught,  so  that  he  fell  on  the 
other  side ;  but  he  snatched  up  his  gun  and  ran  again. 
In  a  moment  he  heard  a  wild  and  horrid  cry,  and 
turning  as  he  ran  up  the  opposite  hill,  he  saw  a  sight 
that  has  murdered  his  sleep  for  many  a  night.  The 
daring  savage  had  leaped  like  him,  but  not  so  well ; 
he  had  tripped,  and  one  of  the  broken  branches  had 
caught  and  impaled  him  on  its  upright  point,  passing 
upward  into  the  cavity  of  his  chest !     He  saw  the 


88  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

starting  eye-balls,  and  the  painted  features  hideously 
distorted,  and  paused  to  see  no  more. 

About  sunset  the  sentinels  of  Fort  Ann  saw  him 
emerging  from  the  woods,  running  as  if  the  Indians 
were  still  behind  him.  A  strong  party  sent  out  next 
morning  found  the  bodies  of  the  rangers  stripped,  and 
frozen  in  the  various  positions  in  which  they  died,  so 
that  they  appeared  like  marble  statues.  On  a  tree 
close  by,  the  French  officer  who  commanded  the 
Abenakis  had  fastened  a  piece  of  birch  bark,  inscribed 
with  an  insolent  and  triumphant  message  to  the 
English.  The  bodies  of  the  two  Indians  had  been 
removed,  although  the  white  snow  around  the  old 
pine  tree  retained  ineffaceable  marks  of  the  tragedy 
that  had  been  enacted  there,  and  was  beaten  hard 
by  the  moccasins  of  a  crowd  of  savages  who  had  ga- 
thered about  that  place. 

The  taste  of-  war  was  enough  for  the  doctor's  mar- 
tial zeal.  He  did  not  take  the  field  again  till  twenty 
years  afterward,  when  he  came  to  Washington's  camp 
at  Cambridge,  armed  with  probe  and  balsam,  instead 
of  a  musket  and  powder. 


^Mfwngjf  cf  Wuthxt  tfjj  ^mencan  iMa|f]ppa,  among  t^t  Mtii&m* 

The  early  history  of  Kentucky  is  one  continued 
series  of  daring  and  romantic  adventures.  Had  the 
founder  of  that  State  lived  in  the  days  of  chivalric 
yore,  his  exploits  would  have  been  sung  in  connection 


Butler's  Mazeppa  Adventure. 


THE    AMERICAN    MAZEPPA.  41 

with  those  of  Arthur  and  Orlando ;  and  his  followers, 
in  the  same  region,  would  certainly  have  been  knights 
of  the  Round  Table.  The  hero  of  our  story  was  one 
of  these.  Those  who  desire  to  inspect  his  adventure, 
by  the  light  of  romance,  will  not  be  displeased  at 
learning  that  his  choice  of  a  hunter's  life  was  deter- 
mined by  a  disappointment  in  the  object  of  his  early 
love.  He  was  then  only  nineteen,  yet  he  fearlessly 
left  his  native  state,  and  sought,  amid  the  unculti- 
vated wilds  of  Kentucky,  the  stirring  enjoyment  of 
a  western  hunter.  After  rendering  valuable  service 
to  the  Virginia  colony,  as  a  spy  and  pioneer,  he  under- 
took a  voyage  of  discovery  to  the  country  north  of 
the  Ohio.  It  was  while  thus  engaged  that  he  was 
taken  prisoner  by  the  Indians. 

He  was,  no  doubt,  known  to  the  Indians  as  an  active 
and  dangerous  enemy;  and  they  now  prepared  to 
avenge  themselves  upon  him.  They  condemned  him 
to  the  fiery  torture,  painted  his  body  black,  and 
marched  him  toward  Chilicothe.  By  way  of  amuse- 
ment on  the  road,  he  was  manacled  hand  and  foot, 
tied  on  an  unbridled  and  unbroken  horse,  and  driven 
off  amid  the  shouts  and  whoops  of  the  savages ;  poor 
Butler  thus  playing  the  part  of  an  American  Mazeppa. 
The  horse,  unable  to  shake  him  off,  galloped  with 
terrific  speed  toward  the  wood,  jarring  and  bruising 
the  rider  at  every  step ;  but  at  length,  exhausted  and 
subdued,  it  returned  to  camp  with  its  burden,  amid 
the  exulting  shouts  of  the  savages.  When  within 
a  mile  of  Chilicothe,  they  took  Butler  from  the  horse, 
and  tied  him  to  a  stake  where,  for  twenty-four  hours, 

6  d2 


42  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

he  remained  in  one  position.  He  was  then  untied,  to 
run  the  gauntlet.  Six  hundred  Indians,  men,  women, 
and  children,  armed  with  clubs  and  switches,  arranged 
themselves  in  two  parallel  lines,  to  strike  him  as  he 
passed.  It  was  a  mile  to  the  council  house,  which, 
if  he  reached,  he  was  to  be  spared.  A  blow  started 
him  on  this  encouraging  race;  but  he  soon  broke 
through  the  files,  and  had  almost  reached  the  council 
house,  when  he  was  brought  to  the  ground  by  a  club. 
In  this  position  he  was  severely  beaten,  and  again 
taken  into  custody. 

These  terrible  sufferings,  instead  of  satisfying  the 
Indians,  only  stimulated  them  to  invent  more  ingeni- 
ous tortures.  Their  cruelty  was  not  more  astonish- 
ing than  the  fortitude  of  the  victim.  He  rah  the 
gauntlet  thirteen  times;  he  was  exposed  to  insult, 
privation,  and  injury  of  every  kind :  sometimes  he 
was  tied,  sometimes  beaten.  At  others,  he  was  pinched, 
dragged  on  the  ground,  or  deprived  for  long  periods 
of  sleep.  Then,  amid  jeers  and  yells,  he  was  marched 
from  village  to  village,  so  that  all  might  be  entertained 
with  his  sufferings.  Yet,  amid  such  torture,  he  never 
failed  to  improve  an  opportunity  favourable  for  escap- 
ing, and  in  one  instance  would  have  effected  it,  but 
for  some  Indians  whom  he  accidentally  met  returning 
to  the  village.  Finally  it  was  resolved  to  burn  him 
at  the  Lower  Sandusky. 

The  procession,  bearing  the  victim  to  the  stake, 
passed  by  the  cabin  of  Simon  Girty,  whose  name  is  a 
counterpart  to  that  of  Brandt,  in  the  annals  of  Penn- 
sylvania.    This  man  had  just  returned  from  an  un- 


HEROISM    OF    A    WOMAN.  48 

successful  expedition  to  the  frontier  of  that  State, 
burning,  of  course,  with  disappointment,  and  a  thirst 
for  revenge.  Hearing  that  a  white  prisoner  was  being 
carried  to  the  torture,  he  rushed  out,  threw  Butler 
down  and  began  to  beat  him.  The  reader  will  not  be 
apt  to  imagine  that  this  was  in  any  way  favourable 
to  Butler's  escape ;  yet  it  was  so.  He  instantly  re- 
cognised in  the  fierce  assailant  a  companion  of  early 
days,  and  as  such  made  himself  known.  The  heart 
of  the  savage  relented.  He  raised  up  his  old  friend, 
promised  to  use  his  influence  for  him,  summoned  a 
council,  and  persuaded  the  Indians  to  resign  Butler  to 
him.  Taking  the  unfortunate  man  home,  he  fed  and 
nursed  him  until  he  began  to  recover.  But  five  days 
had  scarcely  expired,  when  the  Indians  relented, 
seized  their  victim,  and  marched  him  to  be  burned  at 
Lower  Sandusky.  By  a  surprising  coincidence,  he 
here  met  the  Indian  agent  from  Detroit,  who  inter- 
ceded and  saved  him.  He  was  taken  to  that  town, 
paroled  by  the  governor,  and'  subsequently  escaped 
through  the  woods  to  Kentucky. 


The  following  anecdote  has  in  it  little  pleasing  or 
amiable.  Woman,  as  an  Amazon,  does  not  appear  to 
advantage.  Something  seems  to  be  wanting  in  such 
a  character;  or,  perhaps,  it  has  something  too  much. 
Yet,  occasionally,  circumstances  render  it  necessary 


44  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

for  the  gentler  sex  to  fight  or  die;  and  then,  though 
the  record  may  be  bloody  and  revolting,  we  experience 
a  kind  of  pleasure  at  the  heroine's  triumph. 

The  circumstance  we  refer  to  occurred  in  1791,  at 
the  house  of  Mr.  Merill,  in  Nelson  county,  Virginia. 
At  that  time  the  Indians  were  committing  devasta- 
tions, which  kept  the  western  settlements  of  Penn- 
sylvania and  Virginia  in  a  state  of  constant  alarm. 
In  1784,  they  had  attacked  the  villages  on  Clinch 
river;  and,  after  killing  many  of  the  settlers,  and  lay- 
ing waste  a  large  tract  of  country,  they  retired  with 
a  number  of  prisoners  to  Ohio.  There  they  burned 
to  death  a  Mrs.  Moore  and  her  daughter  Jane,  with 
all  the  aggravated  circumstances  of  Indian  torture. 

On  the  occasion  referred  to  above,  a  large  party  as- 
saulted the  house  of  Mr.  Merill.  Mr.  Merill  opened 
the  door  to  ascertain  the  cause  of  the  barking  of  the 
dogs.  He  was  fired  at,  and  fell  wounded  into  the 
room.  The  savages  attempted  to  rush  in  after  him, 
but  Mrs.  Merill  and  her  daughter  effectually  closed 
the  door.  The  assailants  began  to  hew  a  passage 
through  it  with  their  tomahawks ;  and  having  made 
a  breach,  attempted  to  squeeze  through  into  the  room. 
Undismayed  by  the  cries  and  groans  within,  and  the 
exulting  yells  without,  the  courageous  wife  seized  an 
axe,  gave  the  entering  ruffian  a  fatal  blow,  and  drag- 
ged him  through  the  opening  in  the  door.  Another 
and  another  pressed  in,  supposing  their  precursors 
were  safely  engaged  in  the  work  of  death  within,  until 
four  were  slain.  The  silence  within  induced  one  of 
those  without  to  explore  the  interior,  through  the 


ESCAPE    OF    MRS.    DAVIS.  49 

crevice  of  the  door.  Discovering  the  fate  of  his  com- 
panions within,  after  some  counsel  with  those  without, 
two  mounted  the  house,  and  began  to  descend  the 
broad  wooden  chimney.  Aware,  from  the  noise  of  the 
climbers,  what  was  in  agitation,  Mrs.  Merill  promptly 
met  that  danger.  Her  little  son  was  ordered  to  cut 
open  a  feather  bed,  and  throw  the  contents  in  the  fire. 
The  two  lodgers  in  the  funnel,  scorched  and  suffocated 
by  the  burning  feathers,  tumbled  down  in  a  half-in- 
sensible state,  far  from  enviable.  Mr.  Merill  so  far 
recovered  from  his  wound  as  to  aid  his  heroic  wife, 
helped  to  despatch  them,  while  she  continued  to  guard 
the  door  with  her  uplifted  axe.  Another  savage  at- 
tempted to  enter,  but  was  saluted  with  such  a  blow 
as  drove  him  howling  away.  Thus,  through  the 
courage  of  one  woman,  the  whole  party  were  either 
killed  or  wounded.  A  prisoner  heard  this  incident 
related  by  the  survivor  in  his  own  town.  B(;ing  asked 
as  usual,  " What  news ?"  he  answered,  "Bad  news! 
The  squaws  fight  worse  than  the  Long  knives." 


The  following  anecdote  proves  that  the  Indians 
sometimes  make  a  distinction  in  favour  of  the  sex 
of  those  they  take  in  battle.  In  1761,  Mr.  Davis  and 
his  wife,  of  the  James  River  settlement,  were  taken 
prisoners  by  a  party  of  Indians.  The  former  was  put 
to  death.    Mrs.  Davis  was  carried  through  the  forests 


46  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

to  the  Chilicothe  towns,  north  of  the  Ohio,  where  she 
was  compelled  to  live  with  the  squaws,  painted  and 
dressed  as  one  of  their  number.  Instead  of  abandon- 
ing herself  to  useless  grief,  she  became  a  nurse  and 
physician  to  the  tribe,  performing  such  celebrated 
cures  as  to  obtain  the  reputation  of  a  necromancer. 
Her  person  was  regarded  as  sacred,  and  received  from 
the  Indians  all  the  honour  due  to  an  agent  of  the  Great 
Spirit. 

Meanwhile  she  had  been  meditating  escape;  and 
having  effectually  lulled  the  former  anxiety  of  the 
tribe,  she  resolved  upon  attempting  it.  She  was  ac- 
customed to  wander  into  the  woods  to  gather  herbs 
and  roots.  In  1763,  she  set  out  ostensibly  for  the 
same  purpose ;  but  not  returning  at  night,  she  was 
suspected  and  pursued.  To  avoid  leaving  traces  of 
her  path,  she  crossed  the  Sciota  three  times,  but  when 
again  attempting  it,  was  discovered  and  fired  at.  The 
shot  failed ;  but  in  the  hurry  of  flight,  she  wounded 
her  foot  with  a  sharp  stone,  and  was  obliged  to  creep 
into  a  hollow  sycamore  log.  Here  she  was  obliged  to 
remain  in  agonizing  suspense,  while  her  enraged  pur- 
suers were  searching  in  every  direction,  and  frequently 
stepping  on  or  over  the  log.  Their  camp  was  pitched 
near  it  for  the  night,  and  she  could  hear  them  build- 
ing a  fire  and  cooking  their  supper.  Next  morning 
they  again  started  in  pursuit.  She  crept  from  her  hid- 
ing-place and  proceeded  in  another  direction  as  fast  as 
her  lameness  permitted.  After  remaining  in  the 
neighbourhood  three  days,  she  again  set  forward, 
reached  the  Ohio,  crossed  it  on  a  drift  log,  and  entered 


SINGULAR    EXECUTION.  49 

the  forests  leading  to  Virginia.  She  was  obliged  to 
travel  at  night,  and  to  subsist  on  roots,  wild  fruit  and 
river  shell-fish.  After  travelling  three  hundred  miles, 
through  forests  and  rivers,  and  over  mountains,  she 
became  entirely  exhausted,  and  lay  down  to  die.  This 
was  near  the  Green  Brier  settlement.  She  was  dis- 
covered by  some  of  the  inhabitants,  brought  into  the 
village,  and  soon  restored  to  health. 


The  courage  necessary  to  enable  man  to  meet  his 
fellow-man  in  the  struggle  of  the  battle-field,  is  pos- 
sessed by  the  white  man  in  common  with  the  Indian. 
But,  in  many  instances,  there  is  a  feeling  of  stoical 
indifference  to  death,  the  result  of  steady  uninter- 
rupted habit,  which,  while  found  in  the  Ked  man,  is 
almost  wholly  unknown  to  his  more  tenderly  edu- 
cated neighbour.  It  might  seem  strange  to  affirm, 
that  the  fear  of  death,  so  innate  and  universal,  could 
ever  be  subdued  b^^ducation;  that  man,  under  the 
dominion  of  artificalstrictures,  could  be  made  to  look 
calmly  upon  his  dissolution,  so  as  even  to  neglect  the 
improvement  of  opportunities  favourable  to  averting 
it.  Yet  such  is  the  case,  and  that  not  merely  in  one 
or  two  instances,  but,  as  a  general  rule,  among  many 
populous  tribes.  The  following  anecdote  is  an  ex- 
ample of  this  sort.  While  admiring  the  fearlessness 
of  this  untutored  Indian,  we  cannot  but  lament,  that 

7  E 


50  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

it  had  not  been  employed  in  a  nobler  cause.  Such  a 
character,  enlisted  among  the  friends  of  humanity,  of 
science  or  of  religion,  would  have  gained  for  itself  a 
reputation  like  that  of  Howard,  Herschell,  or  Robinson. 

In  March,  1823,  a  Choctaw,  named  Sibley,  stabbed 
another  Indian  in  a  drunken  fit.  A  brother  of  the 
murdered  man  called  upon  Sibley,  to  inform  him  that 
he  had  come  to  take  his  life,  in  atonement  for  that 
of  his  relative.  Such  a  mission  would  have  occa- 
sioned strange  tumults  in  a  white  man's  house.  Sibley, 
on  the  contrary,  readily  assented  to  the  just  decision, 
merely  requesting  that  the  execution  might  be  post- 
poned until  the  following  morning.  The  reasonable 
request  was  immediately  complied  with ;  and  the 
executioner  retired,  leaving  Sibley  entirely  free  from 
restraint. 

Under  this  reprieve,  the  first  impulse  of  a  white 
man  would  have  been  to  run  for  the  woods.  Such 
was  not  the  Indian's  course.  He  slept  that  night  as 
usual;  and,  on  the  following  morning,  went  out  with 
a  party,  of  which  one  was  his  victim's  brother,  to  dig 
a  grave.  In  this  work  he  assisted  with  perfect  apathy ; 
and  when  it  was  finished,  he  observed  to  the  bystand- 
ers, that  he  thought  it  large  enough  to  contain  two 
bodies.  His  wish  to  be  buried  there  was  agreed  to. 
Sibley  now  placed  himself  pver  the  grave,  stretched 
out  his  arms,  and  gave  the  signal  to  fire.  He  received 
a  rifle  ball  through  his  heart,  and  fell  upon  the  body 
of  his  victim. 

The  following  is  an  example  in  all  respects  similar. 

In  the  autumn  of  1830,  the  town  of  Alexandria, 


EXTRAORDINARY   DUEL.  51 

in  Louisiana,  was  visited  by  various  tribes  of  savages. 
In  a  drunken  frolic  one  of  them  was  killed.  The  per- 
son who  committed  the  act  surrendered  himself  to  the 
relations  of  the  deceased.  After  this,  he  walked 
^through  the  streets,  talking  composedly  of  his  antici- 
pated execution.  A  number  of  the  citizens  joined, 
and  raised  a  considerable  sum  of  money  to  buy  his 
pardon:  but  it  was  rejected — the  surviving  brother 
declaring,  that  no  money  could  purchase  his  redemp- 
tion. The  criminal  expressed  no  anxiety  to  escape. 
No  gun  could  be  procured ;  when — stating  his  objec- 
tion to  the  delay,  and  threatening  to  leave  the  ground, 
if  he  was  not  immediately  punished — the  brother 
advanced,  and,  with  a  spade,  knocked  him  down,  and 
split  open  his  skull— exhibiting  demoniacal  expres- 
sions of  joy  at  the  accomplishment  of  the  act. 


In  the  summer  of  1806,  the  following  extraordi- 
nary circumstance  occurred  in  the  neighbourhood  of 
Natchez. 

About  two  o'clock,  P.  M.,  an  Indian  was  discovered 
by  the  family,  entering  the  south  end  of  Colonel  Gi- 
raulf  s  lane.  He  drew  their  attention,  being  painted 
in  an  uncommon  manner:  his  whole  body  appeared 
red.  He  held  in  his  right  hand  a  gun,  which  he  brand- 
ished with  many  gesticulations;  in  his  left,  a  bottle. 
He  was  attended  by  two  other  Indians,  in  rather  a 


62  THRILLING   ADVENTURES 

sober  pace.  At  the  opposite  end  of  the  lane  some 
more  Indians  were  discovered,  among  whom  was  a 
man  painted  in  like  manner,  but  unarmed.  He  was 
held  and  detained  by  a  woman :  but  when  the  one 
brandishing  his  gun  came  within  about  twenty  steps 
of  him,  he  burst  from  the  embrace  of  his  wife,  and 
pushed  towards  his  antagonist.  About  four  yards 
distance  they  both  halted,  when  the  unarmed  one 
presented  his  naked  breast  to  the  other,  who  took  de- 
liberate aim ;  but,  appearing  to  recollect  himself,  he 
dropped  his  gun  and  took  a  drink  from  the  bottle  which 
was  tied  to  his  wrist — the  other  patiently  waiting, 
and  holding  his  breast  open  and  presented  all  this 
time.  Having  finished  his  draught,  and  given  a 
whoop,  he  took  fresh  aim,  and  in  an  instant  the  other 
dropped  almost  at  his  feet.  This  done,  he  loaded  his 
gun  with  all  possible  speed,  gave  it  to  a  bystander, 
(son  of  the  deceased,)  and  then,  in  turn,  bared  and 
presented  his  breast,  and  was  instantaneously  sent  into 
eternity. 

The  dead  bodies  were  carried  each  the  way  they 
had  come,  and  by  their  respective  friends  interred, 
one  at  each  end  of  the  lane.  The  wife  and  relatives 
of  the  unarmed  one — who  was  first  killed — howled 
over  his  remains  three  days  and  nights.  They  then 
disappeared.  On  Friday  last  (says  the  account)  they 
returned  again,  fired  several  guns  on  approaching  the 
grave,  gave  a  general  howl,  about  a  quarter  of  an 
hour,  and  retired. 

We  learn  (says  the  same  account)  from  one  among 
them,  who  speaks  broken  English,  that  they  had 


Extraordinary  DueL 


■0 


THE    MAIDENS   ROCK.  55 

quarrelled  over  a  bottle  some  considerable  tirae  ago, 
when  the  Indian,  who  was  first  killed,  had  his  finger 
bitten  by  the  other,  in  such  a  manner  that  his  arm 
became  inflamed.  He  declared  he  was  "  spoiled,"  and 
they  must  both  die.  They  agreed,  and  formed  the 
arrangement  as  here  related. 


Just  below  the  Falls  of  St.  Anthony,  (which  you 
will  find  in  about  44"^  North  latitude  and  95°  West 
longitude)  the  channel  of  the  Mississippi,  by  becoming 
deeper  and  wider  than  ordinary,  assumes  the  appear- 
ance and  character  of  a  lake,  to  which  the  French 
have  given  the  name  of  Lake  Pepin.  This  lake  is 
twenty-one  miles  long,  and  about  two  and  a  half 
broad,  and  in  most  places  nearly  fills  the  valley  be- 
tween the  majestic  heights  which  extend  along  the 
shores,  in  a  more  regular  manner  than  the  hills  which 
are  found  on  the  banks  of  the  river.  Here,  too,  in- 
stead of  the  rapid  current  of  the  Mississippi,  wind- 
ing around  numerous  islands,  with  surfaces  sometimes 
covered  with  wood,  and  sometimes  mere  barren  tracts 
of  sand,'  the  lake  presents  an  unbroken  expanse  of 
water,  which  the  traveller  will  often  find  still  and 
smooth  as  a  mirror.  The  Indians  will  not  cross  the 
lake  when  the  wind  is  strong,  for,  though  small,  it  is 
deep,  and  easily  agitated  so  much  as  to  make  it  dan- 
gerous for  a  man  to  expose  himself  to  its  waves  in  a 
frail  canoe. 


5(5  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

About  halfway  up  the  lake  its  eastern  bank  rises 
to  the  height  of  five  hundred  feet.  The  lower  three 
hundred  feet  consist  of  a  very  abrupt  and  precipitous 
slope,  extending  from  the  water's  edge  to  the  base  of 
a  naked  rock,  which  rises  perpendicularly  two  hun- 
dred feet  higher. 

The  wildness  of  the  scenery  is  such  that  the  travel- 
ler, who  has  already  gazed  with  delight  on  the  high 
blufis  on  either  side  of  the  Mississippi,  is  struck  with 
admiration  on  beholding  this  beautiful  spot.  Here  he 
will  see  the  steep  craggy  rock,  whose  base  is  washed 
by  a  wide  expanse  of  water,  generally  with  ^  calm 
unruffled  surface,  contrasting  strongly  with  the  savage 
features  of  the  surrounding  landscape.  Cold  must  the 
heart  of  that  man  be,  who  can  contemplate  unmoved 
and  uninterested  the  stupendous  cliffs  that  enclose 
this  lake ! 

Father  Hennepin,  the  first  white  man  who  ever 
saw  it,  calls  it  the  LaTte  of  Tears,  because  his  party 
having  been  taken  prisoners  by  the  Indians,  a  consul- 
tation respecting  their  fate  was  held  at  the  base  of 
these  precipices,  when  it  was  resolved  that  he  and  his 
companions  should  be  put  to  death  the  following  day ; 
from  which  fate  they  were,  however,  delivered.  The 
deeds  of  cruelty,  of  danger,  and  of  daring,  which 
have  here  been  perpetrated,  will  never  be  unfolded ; 
but  there  is  a  tale,  told  indeed  by  a  savage,  yet  of  so 
much  interest  that  many  a  heart  has  been  made  sad 
by  its  recital.  We  cannot  recommend  it  as  an  ex- 
ample, but  it  shows,  notwithstanding  the  apathy  and 
indiflerence  to  fate  which  is  usually  imputed  to  the 


THE  maiden's  rock.  57 

Eed  men  of  America,  that  they  do  possess  the  feel- 
ings of  our  common  nature. 

Twenty  years  ago  there  was  in  the  nation  of  the 
Dacotas  an  aged  and  celebrated  chief,  whose  name 
was  Wapasha.  It  was  in  the  time  of  his  father,  who 
was  also  a  chief,  that  one  of  the  most  melancholy 
transactions  that  ever  occurred  among  the  Indians, 
took  place  at  the  spot  we  have  described  above. 

There  was  at  that  time  in  the  village  of  Keoxa,  in 
the  tribe  of  Wapasha,  a  young  woman,  whose  name 
was  Winona,  which  signifies,  the  first-born.  She  was 
dear^to  her  parents  and  a  favourite  with  the  whole 
tribe.  She  had  promised  to  spend  her  life  with  a 
young  hunter  of  the  same  nation,  who  was  strongly 
attached  to  her.  He  applied  to  her  parents  for  leave 
to  marry  her,  but  was  greatly  surprised  when  they 
refused  him,  and  told  him  that  their  daughter  was 
already  promised  to  a  warrior  of  distinction.  The 
latter  had  acquired  a  name  by  the  services  he  had 
rendered  to  his  village  when  it  was  attacked  by  thp 
Chippewas,  and,  encouraged  by  Winona's  parents  and 
brothers,  he  urged  his  claim  with  great  assiduity,  but 
she  still  refused  him,  and  persisted  in  her  preference 
for  the  hunter. 

To  the  recommendation  of  her  friends  in  favour  of 
the  warrior,  she  replied,  that  she  had  chosen  a  hunter 
who  would  spend  his  life  with  her,  but  if  she  accepted 
the  warrior,  he  would  be  constantly  absent  from  her 
on  some  exploit,  exposing  himself  to  danger  and  his 
family  to  hardship.  Winona's  expostulations  were  of 
no  avail  with  her  parents,  and  after  they  had  sue- 


58  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

ceeded  in  driving  away  her  lover,  they  used  harsh 
means  to  induce  her  to  marry  the  man  they  had 
chosen.  Till  now  Winona  had  always  been  the  de- 
light of  her  parents,  and  had  been  more  indulged 
than  is  usual  with  women  among  the  Indians. 

About  this  time  a  party  was  formed  in  the  village 
to  go  to  Lake  Pepin,  to  procure  a  supply  of  the  blue 
clay  which  is  found  upon  its  shores,  and  which  is  used 
by  the  Indians  for  the  purpose  of  painting.  The  pa- 
rents and  brothers  of  Winona  were  of  the  party,  and 
she  also  was  with  them.  On  the  day  of  their  visit  to 
the  lake,  her  brothers  made  presents  to  the  warrior, 
and  encouraged  by  this  he  again  addressed  her,  and 
was  again  rejected.  Her  father,  who  was  not  accus- 
tomed to  be  contradicted,  became  more  and  more 
angry,  and  declared  that  the  marriage  should  take 
place  that  very  day. 

"You  leave  me  no  hope,"  said  Winona;  "I  told 
you  I  did  not  love  him,  and  I  would  not  live  with 
him.  I  wished  to  remain  unmarried  since  you  have 
driven  the  hunter  away  from  me,  but  you  would  not 
permit  it.  Is  this  the  love  you  have  for  me !  Yes, 
you  have  driven  him  that  loves  me  away  from  our 
village,  and  now  he  wanders  alone  in  the  forest ;  he 
has  no  one  to  build  his  lodge,  no  one  to  spread  his 
blanket,  and  wait  on  him  when  he  returns  home, 
weary  and  hungry  from  the  chase.  But  even  this  is 
not  enough ;  you  would  have  me  rejoice  when  he  is 
far  away,  and  unite  myself  with  another."  Casting  a 
melancholy  look  on  her  father  and  mother,  as  she 


The  Maiden's  E/Ock. 


THE    maiden's    rock.  61 

finished  these  words,  she  slowly  withdrew  herself  from 
the  assembly. 

Preparations  for  the  marriage  feast  were  still  going 
on,  when  Winona  silently  wound  her  way  up  to  the 
top  of  the  cliff,  and  having  gained  the  summit  of  the 
rock,  from  the  very  verge  of  the  precipice  she  called 
out  to  her  friends  below.  A  light  breeze  bore  her 
voice  along  the  surface  of  the  water,  and  her  parents 
heard  her  last  words  :  ''  Farewell !  you  were  cruel  to 
me  and  my  lover ;  you  dared  to  threaten  me,  but  you 
did  not  know  me.  Look  now  whether  you  can  force 
me  to  marry  one  whom  I  do  not  love." 

Her  distracted  brothers  ran  towards  the  top  of  the 
cliff  in  order  to  prevent  her  design;  while  many 
hastened  to  the  foot  of  the  rock  in  hopes  of  receiving 
her  in  their  arms.  Her  aged  parents,  with  tears  in 
their  eyes,  endeavoured  by  signs  to  make  her  aban- 
don her  purpose.  But  all  was  in  vain  ;  as  the  sound 
of  her  last  words  floated  towards  them  on  the  calm 
lake,  they  saw  her  dash  herself  from  the  summit  of 
the  rock!  ....  Whenever  one  of  the  Dacota  In- 
dians passes  by  the  place  in  his  light  canoe,  he  raises 
his  eye  for  a  moment  to  gaze  on  the  giddy  height,  still 
called  The  Maiden's  Rock;  and  the  recollection  of 
Winona's  dreadful  fate  makes  his  heart  sorrowful ; 
but  he  hopes  she  is  gone  to  the  Great  Master  of  Life, 
and  that  a  better  portion  is  now  appointed  for  her 
where  no  sorrows  will  ever  come  to  trouble  her. 

Such  is  the  story  as  it  was  related  by  Wazecota,  an 
aged  Indian  chief,  who,  being  very  young  at  the  time, 
saw  what  he  related.     While  telling  the  story,  the 


62 


THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 


stiffness  of  age  forsook  his  limbs,  and  the  momentary 
restoration  of  his  youth  manifested  the  deep  impres- 
sion made  upon  his  mind. 

Winona  was  an  uncivilized  Indian  ;  she  had  never 
been  taught  the  word  of  the  Master  of  Life,  "  thou 
shalt  not  kill" — she  had  never  heard  that  "the  patient 
in  spirit  is  better  than  the  proud  in  spirit." 

But  let  those  who  can  read  the  word  of  God  re- 
member, that  they  who  attempt  to  escape  the  evils  of 
this  life  by  self-destruction,  are  far  worse  than  the 
rudest  savages  of  the  wilderness. 


SHENANDOAH. 


63 


That  part  of  the  country  round  the  thriving  town 
of  Utica,  in  the  State  of  New  York,  and  through 
which  a  railroad  now  runs,  was  formerly  called  Whites- 
borough,  and  there  is  now  a  small  to^  joining  TJtica 
so  called.  The  first  settler  in  that  part  of  the  coun- 
try was  a  Mr.  White,  after  whom  the  place  was 
named.  At  the  time  we  speak  of,  there  were  nume- 
rous Indians  living  in  the  neighbourhood ;  with  them 
he  had  several  interviews,  and  mutual  promises  of 
friendship  were  exchanged.  He  also  smoked  the  pipe 
of  peace  with  them,  to  confirm  the  contract  more 
solemnly. 

Still  the  Indians  were  suspicious.  "The  white 
men,"  said  they,  "  are  deceitful,  and  we  must  have 
some  proof  of  his  sincerity." 

Accordingly,  one  evening,  during  Mr.  White's  ab- 


^ 


6i  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

sence  from  home,  three  Indians  went  to  his  house. 
At  first,  Mrs.  White  and  her  children  were  much 
alarmed,  but  on  perceiving  one  of  the  Indians  to  be 
Shen-an-do-ah,  whom  they  knew  to  be  a  mild,  humane 
man,  their  fear  was  in  some  degree  quieted.  On  enter- 
ing the  house,  they  addressed  Mrs.  White,  saying, 
"  We  are  come  to  ask  you  for  your  little  daughter 
Jane,  that  we  may  take  her  home  with  us  to-night." 

Such  a  request  might  well  startle  the  good  woman ; 
she  knew  not  what  answer  to  give.  To  refuse  might, 
she  feared,  excite  their  anger ;  to  grant  their  request 
might  hazard  the  liberty  or  even  the  life  of  her  child. 

Luckily  at  this  moment,  while  the  Indians  were 
waiting  for  a  reply,  Mr.  White,  the  father  of  the 
child,  came  in.  The  request  was  repeated  to  him, 
and  he  had  sufficient  presence  of  mind  to  grant  it,  in- 
stantly and  cheerfully. 

The  mother  was  overwhelmed  with  surprise,  and 
felt  all  the  horror  that  can  be  conceived ;  but  she  was 
silent,  for  she  knew  it  would  be  vain  to  resist.  The 
little  girl  was  fetched,  and  delivered  to  the  Indians, 
who  lived  about  ten  or  twelve  miles  off*. 

Shen-an-do-ah  took  the  child  by  the^  hand,  and  led 
her  away  through  the  woods,  having  first  said  to  her 
father,  "To-morrow,  when  the  sun  is  high  in  the 
heavens,  we  will  bring  her  back." 

Mrs.  White  had  often  heard  that  the  Indians  were 
treacherous,  and  she  well  knew  they  were  cruel ;  she 
therefore  looked  upon  her  httle  daughter  as  lost,  and 
considered  that  she  was  given  as  a  kind  of  sacrifice 
to  save  the  family. 


SHENANDOAH.  65 

Mr.  White  endeavoured  to  comfort  her,  for  he  felt 
assured  that  his  child  would  be  brought  safely  back 
the  following  morning.  To  the  poor  mother  the  night 
was  long  and  sleepless ;  her  anxiety  became  greater 
as  the  promised  time  approached.  Already  she  im- 
agined that  the  Indians  would  keep  their  word,  and 
indeed  bring  back  the  child,  but  she  fully  believed 
that  they  would  not  bring  her  back  alive.  She 
watched  the  sun  with  a  beating  heart,  and  just  when 
it  seemed  at  the  highest  point  of  the  heavens,  she 
cried  out  to  her  husband,  "  There  they  are !" 

Shen-an-do-ah  and  his  companions  were  faithful  to 
their  promise ;  they  now  came  back  with  the  little 
Jane,  who,  smiling  with  delight,  was  decked  out  in 
all  the  finery  that  an  Indian  wigwam  could  furnish — 
necklaces  of  shells,  dyed  feathers,  and  moccasins 
beautifully  worked  with  porcupine  quills.  She  was 
delighted  with  her  visit  and  with  her  presents. 

The  effect  of  Mr.  White's  confidence  was  just  what 
might  be  expected.  From  this  time  the  Indians  were 
his  friends.  Had  he  acted  with  timidity,  and  refused 
to  let  his  child  visit  them,  they  would  have  had  no 
confidence  in  him. 

Shen-an-do-ah  was  an  Oneida  chief  of  some  cele- 
brity, having  fought  on  the  side  of  the  Americans  in 
the  Revolutionary  war.  He  lived  to  be  a  hundred 
years  old;  and  though  in  his  youth  he  was  very  wild, 
and  addicted  to  drunkenness,  yet  by  the  force  of  his 
own  good  sense,  and  the  benevolent  exhortations  of  a 
Christian  missionary,  he  lived  a  reformed  man  for 

9  f2 


66  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

more  than  sixty  years*  He  was  intrepid  in  war,  but 
mild  and  friendly  in  the  time  of  peace.  His  vigilance 
once  preserved  the  infant  settlements  of  the  German 
flats  (on  the  Mohawk)  from  being  cruelly  massacred 
by  a  tribe  of  hostile  Indians ;  his  influence  brought 
his  own  tribe  to  assist  the  Americans,  and  his  many 
friendly  actions  in  their  behalf  gained  for  him,  among 
the  Indian  tribes,  the  appellation  of  the  "  White  man's 
friend." 

To  one  who  went  to  see  him  a  short  time  before  his 
death,  he  thus  expressed  himself:  "I  am  an  aged 
hemlock — the  winds  of  a  hundred  winters  have 
whistled  through  my  branches— I  am  dead  at  the  top. 
The  generation  to  which  I  belong  have  passed  away 
and  left  me.  Why  /still  live,  the  Great  Spirit  alone 
knows  !  But  I  pray  to  him  that  I  may  have  patience 
to  wait  for  my  appointed  time  to  die." 


Not  long  after  Connecticut  began  to  be  settled  by 
the  English,  a  stranger  Indian  came  one  day  to  a 
tavern  in  one  of  its  tawns  in  the  dusk  of  the  even- 
ing, and  requested  the  hostess  to  supply  him  with 

*  In  1775  Shen-an-do-ali  was  present  at  a  treaty  made  in  Albany. 
At  night  he  was  excessively  drunk,  and  in  the  morning  found  him- 
self in  the  street,  stripped  of  all  his  ornaments,  and  every  article 
of  clothing.  His  pride  revolted  at  his  self-degradation  and  he  re- 
solved never  more  to  deliver  himself  over  to  the  power  of  "  strong 
water." 


INDIAN    GRATITUDE.  ^ 

something  to  eat  and  drink,  at  the  same  time  he 
honestly  told  her  that  he  could  not  pay  her  for  either, 
as  he  had  had  no  success  in  hunting  for  several  days; 
but  that  he  would  return  payment  as  soon  as  he 
should  meet  with  better  fortune. 

The  hostess,  who  was  a  very  ill-tempered  woman, 
not  only  flatly  refused  to  relieve  him,  but  added  abuse 
to  her  unkindness,  calling  him  a  lazy,  drunken  fellow, 
and  told  him  that  she  did  not  work  so  hard  herself, 
to  throw  away  her  earnings  upon  such  vagabonds 
as  he  was. 

There  was  a  man  sitting  in  the  same  room  of  the 
tavern,  who,  on  hearing  the  conversation,  looked  up, 
and  observed  the  Indian's  countenance,  which  plainly 
showed  that  he  was  suffering  severely  from  want  and 
fatigue,  and  being  of  a  humane  disposition,  he  told 
the  woman  to  give  the  poor  wanderer  some  supper, 
and  he  would  pay  for  it. 

She  did  so:  and  when  the  Indian  had  finished  his 
meal,  he  turned  towards  his  benefactor,  thanked  him, 
and  told,  him  that  he  should  not  forget  his  kindness. 
"As  for  the  woman,"  he  added,  "all  I  can  give  her 
is  a  story— if  she  likes  to  hear  it."  The  woman, 
bemg  now  in  a  rather  better  temper,  and  having  some 
curiosity  to  hear  what  he  had  to  tell,  readily  con- 
sented,  and  the  Indian  addressed  her  as  follows:— - 

"I  suppose  you  read  the  Bible ?"  The  woman  as- 
sented.  "Well,"  continued  the  Indian,  "the  Bible 
say,  God  made  the  world,  and  then  he  took  him,  and 
looked  on  him,  and  say,  'IVs  all  very  good.'  Then 
he  made  light,  and  took  him,  and  looked  on  him,  and 


68  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

say,  ^It's  all  very  good/  Then  he  made  dry  land, 
and  water,  and  sun,  and  moon,  and  grass,  and  trees, 
and  took  him,  and  say, '  It's  all  very  good/  Then  he 
made  beasts,  and  birds,  and  fishes,  and  took  him,  and 
looked  on  him,  and  say,  'It's  all  very  good/  Then 
he  made  man,  and  took  him,  and  looked  on  him,  and 
say,  '  It's  all  very  good/  And  last  of  all  he  made 
woman,  and  took  him,  and  looked  on  him,  and  he  no 
dare  say  one  such  wordr  The  Indian,  having  told  his 
story,  departed. 

Some  years  after,  the  man  who  had  befriended  the 
Indian  had  occasion  to  go  some  distance  into  the 
wilderness  between  Litchfield  and  Albany,  which  is 
now  a  populous  city,  but  then  contained  only  a  few 
houses.  Here  he  was  taken  prisoner  by  an  Indian 
scout,  and  carried  off  into  Canada.  When  he  arrived 
at  the  principal  settlement  of  their  tribe,  which 
was  on  the  banks  of  the  great  river  St.  Lawrence, 
some  of  the  Indians  proposed  that  he  should  be  put 
to  death,  in  revenge  for  the  wrongs  that  they  had 
suffered  from  the  white  men ;  and  this  probably  would 
have  been  his  fate,  had  not  an  old  Indian  woman,  or 
squaw,  as  they  are  called,  demanded  that  he  should 
be  given  up  to  her,  that  she  might  adopt  him  in  place 
of  her  son,  whom  she  had  lately  lost  in  war.  He  was 
accordingly  given  to  her,  and,  as  it  is  customary  under 
such  circumstances,  was  thenceforth  treated  in  the 
same  manner  as  her  own  son. 

In  the  following  summer,  as  he  was  one  day  at 
work  in  the  forest  by  himself,  felling  trees,  an  Indian, 
who  was  unknown  to  him,  came  up  and  asked  him 


Indian  Gratitude. 


INDIAN    GRATITUDE.  71 

to  meet  him  the  following  day  at  a  certain  spot  which 
he  described.  The  white  man  agreed  to  do  so,  but 
not  without  some  apprehension  that  mischief  was 
intended.  During  the  night  these  fears  increased  to 
so  great  a  degree,  as  effectually  to  prevent  his  keep- 
ing his  appointment.  ^ 

However,  a  few  days  after,  the  same  Indian,  find- 
ing him  again  at  work,  gravely  reproved  him  for  not 
keeping  his  promise.  The  man  made  the  best  ex- 
cuses he  could,  but  the  Indian  was  not  satisfied  until 
he  had  again  promised  to  meet  him  the  next  morning 
at  the  place  already  agreed  on. 

Accordingly,  when  he  arrived  at  the  spot,  he  found 
the  Indian  already  there,  provided  with  two  muskets 
and  powder,  and  two  knapsacks.  The  Indian  ordered 
him  to  take  one  of  each,  and  to  follow  him.  The  di- 
rection of  their  march  was  southward.  The  man 
followed  without  the  least  knowledge  of  what  he  was 
•to  do,  or  whither  he  was  going,  but  he  concluded  that 
if  the  Indian  intended  to  do  him  harm,  he  would  have 
despatched  him  at  the  first  meeting,  and  certainly 
would  not  have  provided  him  with  a  musket  and 
powder  for  defence.  His  fears,  therefore,  gradually 
subsided,  although  the  Indian  maintained  an  obstinate 
silence  when  he  questioned  him  concerning  the  object 
of  their  expedition. 

In  the  day  time  they  shot  and  cooked  as  much 
game  as  they  required,  and  at  night  they  kindled  a 
fire  by  which  they  slept.  After  a  fatiguing  journey 
through  the  forest  for  many  days,  they  came  one 
morning  to  the  top  of  a  hill  from  w^hich  there  was  the 


72  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

prospect  of  a  cultivated  country,  interspersed  with 
several  snug  farm-houses. 

"Now,"  said  the  Indian  to  his  joyful  companion, 
"do  you  know  where  you  are?"  "Yes,"  replied  he, 
"we  are  not  ten  miles  from  my  own  village."  "And 
do  yoilftiot  recollect  a  poor  Indian  at  the  tavern  ? — 
you  feed  him — ^you  speak  kind  to  him — I  am  that 
poor  Indian ; — now  go  home."  Having  said  this,  he 
bade  him  farewell,  and  the  man  joyfully  returned  to 
his  own  home. 


Siorins  £e&t  of  a  ®id  tinting  ait  ^^^SLult  h]s  In^ktu^* 

The  town  of  Wheeling,  like  many  of  our  early 
Pennsylvanian  settlements,  has  suffered  several  at- 
tacks from  the  Indians.  On  one  of  these  occasions, 
the  house  of  Colonel  Zane,  outside  the  principal  fort, 
contained  a  supply  of  ammunition,  and  was  garrisoned 
by  seven  or  eight  persons,  male  and  female,  besides 
the  coloneVs  family.  Before  firing,  the  Indians  de- 
manded a  surrender  of  the  house.  They  were  answered 
by  a  volley  of  musketry.  The  attack  and  defence 
were  maintained  till  night,  when  the  assailants  at- 
tempted to  fire  the  house.  One  of  them,  crawling 
with  a  brand  toward  the  kitchen,  was  driven  away 
by  a  shot  from  a  black  man.  At  this  moment  a  small 
boat,  loaded  with  cannon-balls,  and  steered  by  one 
man,  approached  the  fort.  The  savages  poured  forth 
a  volley  of  balls  against  him,  and  rushed  to  seize  the 
boat.     He  gained  the  fort  with  a  wound,  leaving  the 


Daring  Feat  of  a  GirL 


DARING   FEAT    OF    A    GIRL.  76 

whole  cargo  in  possession  of  the  Indians.  With  a 
cannon  they  could  now  have  battered  house  and  fort 
to  pieces ;  and  aware  of  this,  they  procured  a  hollow 
log,  twisted  chains  around  it,  and  rammed  in  a  heavy 
charge.  This  ingenious  piece  of  ordnance  blew  into 
a  thousand  pieces  with  the  first  discharge,  killing 
several,  wounding  more,  and  throwing  the  survivors 
into  a  state  of  mingled  terror  and  astonishment. 

In  a  little  time  they  renewed  the  assault  on  the 
house,  but  were  driven  back.  But  the  ammunition 
of  the  garrison  was  fast  failing,  and  it  was  proposed 
that  some  one  should  sally  to  the  fort  for  a  supply. 
Among  the  volunteers  to  this  bold  attempt,  was  a 
young  sister  of  Colonel  Zane,  who  had  recently  re- 
turned from  a  boarding-school  in  Philadelphia.  When 
reminded  that  a  man  would  have  an  advantage  over 
her  in  strength  and  swiftness,  she  answered,  that  the 
loss  of  a  woman  would  be  less  felt.  Arranging  her 
dress  for  the  purpose,  she  bounded  towards  the  fort. 
Awed  by  the  singular  apparition,  the  Indians  re- 
strained their  fire,  and  uttered  a  cry  of  admiration. 
She  safely  reached  the  fort,  and  the  commandant, 
Colonel  Silas  Zane,  a  relative  of  the  other  colonel, 
filled  a  table  cloth  with  powder,  bound  it  round  her 
waist,  and  sent  her  back.  By  this  time  the  Indians 
had  obtained  an  inkling  into  the  fair  one's  mission, 
and  poured  after  her  a  volley  of  balls.  She  passed 
untouched  through  all,  and  entered  the  house  with  her 
load.  Soon  after  the  Indians  abandoned  the  siege, 
and  retired  down  the  river. 


76  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 


The  battle  of  Monmouth  (in  New  Jersey)  was 
fought  on  the  28th  June,  1778.  The  Americans 
were  commanded  by  General  Washington,  and  the 
English  by  Sir  Henry  Clinton.  The  day  was  in- 
tensely  hot.  A  woman,  named  Molly  Pritchard,  the 
wife  of  a  soldier  in  the  American  army,  who  was  em- 
ployed in  loading  and  firing  a  cannon,  occupied  her- 
self in  carrying  water  from  a  spring  to  the  battery 
where  her  husband  was  stationed.  He  was  shot  dead, 
and  she  saw  him  fall.  An  officer  on  the  spot  imme- 
diately ordered  another  man  to  the  gun.  But  Molly 
Pritchard  stepped  up,  offered  her  services,  and  to  the 
astonishment  of  the  soldiers,  took  her  husband's  place. 
She  fought  so  manfully,  that  half  pay  was  granted  to 
her  for  Hfe  by  Congress.  She  wore  a  soldier's  epau- 
lette, and  was  known  by  the  name  of  "Captain  Molly" 
ever  after. 

A  few  years  after  Boston  and  its  neighbourhood 
were  settled  by  the  English,  a  party  of  Narragansett 
Indians  who  were  out  hunting,  stopped  at  the  house 
of  Mr.  Minot,  in  Dorchester,  and  rudely  demanded 
food.  On  being  refused,  they  went  away  with  evident 
marks  of  displeasure,  and  Oquamehud,  their  chief, 
threatened  to  be  revenged.  For  this  purpose,  he  left 
in  the  bushes,  near  the  house,  an  Indian  named  Osa- 
mee,  who  had  long  been  known  in  the  neighbourhood 
for  his  uncommon  ferocity. 

The  next  morning  Mr.  and  Mrs.  Minot  went  to 


., ..  iii,!iiT'i"'l''fJ#iJ'ii''iili'ii!ii: 


The  faithful  Nuise. 


THE    FAITHFUL    NURSE.  79 

Boston,  a  distance  of  only  three  miles :  the  Indian 
saw  them  from  his  hiding-place,  and  prepared  himself 
for  an  assault  on  the  house,  which  he  supposed  wsa 
left  without  any  defence.  However,  although  Mr 
Minot  had  no  apprehension  of  an  attack  of  this  kind, 
he  had  taken  the  precaution  to  give  strict  charge  tc 
the  maid-servant  to  confine  herself  with  his  two  little 
children  to  the  house,  and  to  open  the  door  to  no  per- 
son until  his  return. 

The  girl  was  trusty  and  watchful,  and  she  soon 
espied  the  Indian  drawing  cautiously  towards  the 
house.  After  looking  about,  apparently  to  make  sure 
that  there  was  nobody  near,  he  rushed  furiously 
against  the  door,  but  it  was  so  securely  bolted  that  it 
withstood  his  force,  and  he  next  attempted  to  get  in 
through  the  window.  The  young  woman  had  hidden 
her  master's  children  under  two  brass  kettles,  charg- 
ing them  not  to  stir,  nor  make  the  least  noise ;  she 
then  loaded  a  musket  belonging  to  the  house,  and 
bravely  stood  upon  her  defence. 

The  Indian,  probably  guessing  her  design,  fired  at 
her,  but  he  missed  his  mark.  The  girl  then  fired, 
and  the  bullet  entered  his  shoulder.  Still  he  per- 
sisted in  his  attempt,  and  had  succeeded  in  getting 
half  through  the  window,  when,  with  great  presence 
of  mind,  she  seized  a  pan  full  of  red-hot  cinders  from 
the  stove,  and  threw  them  in  his  face.  They  lodged 
in  his  blanket,  and  the  pain  they  created  was  too 
much  even  for  Osamee.  He  fled,  and  his  dead  body 
was  found  next  day  in  a  wood  on  the  borders  of  the 
town. 


80  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

The  circumstances  being  made  known  to  the  go- 
vernment of  Massachusetts  Bay,  this  courageous 
young  woman  was,  by  their  order,  presented  with  a 
silver  bracelet,  on  which  her  name  was  engraved, 
with  this  motto,  "She  slew  the  Narrhagansett 
hunter." 

"We  do  not  see  much  to  admire  in  the  unfeminine 
conduct  of  "Captain  Molly,"  and  have  related  the 
story,  merely  that  the  readers  of  these  tales  may  com- 
pare her  with  the  trustworthy  servant  girl,  who  saved 
the  lives  of  two  children  as  well  as  her  own,  by  her 
presence  of  mind  and  courage.  Assuredly  the  silver 
bracelet  was  better  deserved  than  the  epaulette  of 
Molly  Pritchard.  Such  instances  of  cool  courage  are 
rare. 


Courage  m^  ^ixi$xo%it^  d  P«=ta=k=j{|a=njo* 

A  STILL  more  honourable  badge  than  in  either  of 
the  cases  above  cited  was  awarded  to  a  Pawnee  brave, 
for  his  courage,  generosity,  and  humanity. 

Pe-ta-la-sharroo  was  the  son  of  La-te-le-sha,  or  Old 
Knife,  a  Pawnee  chief:  Pe-ta-la-sha-roo  was  a  hrave^ 
that  is,  one  who  has  greatly  distinguished  himself  in 
battle,  and  is  next  in  importance  to  a  chief.  At  the 
early  age  of  twenty-one,  this  young  man  had,  by  his 
heroic  deeds,  acquired  for  himself  the  rank  of  "  the 
bravest  of  the  braves." 

The  savage  practice  of  torturing  and  burning  to 
death  their  prisoners  existed  in  this  tribe.     The  hu- 


h 


COURAGE    OF    PE-TA-LA-SHA-ROO.  88 

mane  La-te-le-sha  had  long  endeavoured  to  put  a  stop 
to  this  cruel  custom,  but  in  vain.  In  a  warlike  ex- 
pedition against  the  Iteans,  a  woman  was  taken  pri- 
soner, who,  on  their  return,  was  doomed  to  suffer 
according  to  their  barbarous  usage. 

The  unfortunate  victim  was  bound  to  the  stake, 
and  a  vast  crowd  was  assembled  on  the  plains  to 
witness  the  shocking  scene.  Pe-ta-la-sha-roo,  unob- 
served, had  stationed  two  fleet  horses  at  a  little  dis- 
tance from  the  spot,  and  was  now  seated  amongst  the 
crowd,  a  silent  spectator.  All  were  now  anxiously 
waiting  for  the  commencement  of  the  frightful  trar 
gedy,  and  the  torch  was  already  borne  towards  the 
funeral  pile,  when,  suddenly  springing  from  his  seat, 
the  youthful "  brave"  rushed  forward,  and,  cutting  the 
cords  asunder  which  bound  the  captive,  with  the 
swiftness  of  thought  he  bore  her  in  his  arms  beyond 
the  amazed  multitude;  then  placing  her  upon  one 
horse,  and  mounting  the  other  himself,  he  bore  her 
safely  off  to  her  friends  and  country. 
*  This  act  would  have  endangered  the  life  of  an 
ordinary  chief;  but  such  was  the  popularity  of  both 
father  and  son,  that,  on  the  return  of  the  "  bravest 
of  the  braves"  to  his  village,  no  one  presumed  to  cen- 
sure his  conduct;  and  such  was  the  influence  of  his 
good  example,  that  since  that  time  no  human  sacri- 
fice has  ever  been  offered  in  this  or  any  of  the  Pawnee 
tribes. 

The  account  of  this  transaction  being  circulated  at 
Washington,  during  the  young  chief's  stay  there, 
whilst  on  a  deputation  from  his  nation  to  the  Ameri- 


84  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

can  government  in  1821,  the  young  ladies  of  Miss 
White's  boarding-school  in  that  city,  in  a  manner 
highly  creditable  to  themselves,  resolved  to  give  him 
some  demonstration  of  the  esteem  in  which  they  held 
him  on  account  of  his  brave  and  humane  conduct; 
they  therefore  presented  him  with  an  elegant  silver 
medal,  engraved  with  an  appropriate  inscription,  and 
accompanied  by  the  following  short  but  affectionate 
address : — 

''Brother^ — Accept  this  token  of  our  esteem — al- 
ways wear  it  for  our  sakes;  and,  whenever  again  you 
have  the  power  to  save  a  poor  woman  from  death  or 
torture,  think  of  this  and  of  us,  and  fly  to  her  relief 
and  rescue. 

The  Pawnee's  reply  was  as  follows  : — 

'^Sisters  and  Friends ^ — This  (meaning  the  medal) 
will  give  me  more  ease  than  I  ever  had ;  and  I  will 
listen  more  than  ever  I  did  to  white  men. 

"I  am  glad  that  my  brothers  and  sisters  have 
heard  of  the  good  act  that  I  have  done.  My  bro- 
thers and  sisters  think  that  I  did  it  in  ignorance,  bftt 
I  now  know  what  I  have  done.  I  did  it  in  ignorance, 
and  did  not  know  that  it  was  good;  but  by  giving 
me  this  medal  I  know  it." 

There  is  much  pleasure  in  meeting  with  such  in- 
stances of  heroic  conduct  among  the  untaught  savages 
of  the  West,  and,  as  it  has  often  been  our  lot  to  re- 
count the  deeds  of  violence  which  are  committed  by 
the  red  men,  it  would  be  most  unjust  to  suppress 
any  traits  of  an  opposite  nature. 


MAGNANIMITY    OF    A    SIOUX.  85 


JMapattfmftg  of  a  Monx* 

The  Sioux  are  one  of  the  most  warlike  and  inde- 
pendent nations  of  Indians  within  the  boundaries  of 
the  United  States,  and  with  them  every  passion  seems 
subservient  to  that  of  war.  They  had  long  been  at 
variance  with  the  Sauteurs,  or  Pall  Indians,*  as  they 
are  also  called,  from  their  lands  being  near  the  Falls 
of  St.  Mary. 

Cha-ta-wa-con-a-mee,  chief  of  a  small  band  of  Sioux 
situated  on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  going  out 
one  morning  at  sunrise  to  examine  his  beaver  trap, 
descried  a  Sauteur  in  the  act  of  stealing  it.  He  ap- 
proached so  silently  that  he  was  not  perceived,  and 
while  the  Sauteur  was  engaged  in  taking  the  trap  from 
the  water,  he  stood  deliberately  surveying  him  with 
a  loaded  rifle  in  his  hand. 

As  the  two  nations  were  at  war,  and  as  the  offence 
was  in  itself  considered  of  the  most  heinous  nature, 
he  would  have  been  thought  perfectly  justified  in 
killing  him  on  the  spot ;  and  the  thief,  on  finding 
himself  detected,  looked  for  nothing  else  than  imme- 
diate death. 

But  the  Sioux  chief,  with  a  nobleness  of  disposi- 
tion which  would  have  done  honour  to  the  most  en- 

*  The  St.  Mary  is  a  strait,  or  river,  about  eighty  miles  long,  which 
connects  Lake  Superior  with  Lake  Huron.  Near  the  head  of  this 
lake  is  the  fall,  or  Sault  de  St®.  Marie,  where  the  river  descends 
about  twenty-three  feet  in  half  a  mile.  Canoes,  and  even  barges, 
are  towed  up  these  rapids. 

H 


86  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

lightened  man,  calmly  walked  up  to  him,  and  thus 
addressed  the  astonished  Sauteur : — "  Be  not  alarmed 
at  my  approach ;  I  only  come  to  present  you  with  the 
trap,  of  which  I  see  you  stand  in  need.  You  are  en- 
tirely welcome  to  it.  Take  my  rifle  also,  for  I  see 
you  are  poor  and  have  none  of  your  own ;  and  now 
depart  with  it  to  the  land  of  your  countrymen,  and 
linger  not  here,  lest*  some  of  my  young  men  who  are 
panting  for  the  blood  of  their  enemies  should  dis- 
cover your  footsteps  in  our  hunting-grounds,  and 
should  fall  upon  you  and  kill  you." 

So  saying,  he  delivered  his  rifle  into  the  hands  of 
the  poor  Sauteur,  and  returned  unarmed  to  the  village 
of  which  he  was  so  deservedly  the  chief. 


tNTolk  ^ttion  of  %kutmmt  UM* 

We  copy  from  the  North  American  of  June  12, 
1849,  the  following  thrilling  adventure  of  Lieutenant 
Beall.     It  is  a  credit  to  the  American  name. 

Lieutenant  Beall,  United  States  Navy,  is  already 
well  known  to  the  country,  having  particularly  dis- 
tinguished himself,  on  several  different  occasions,  as 
a  bearer  of  important  despatches  to  and  from  Califor- 
nia, both  through  the  heart  of  Mexico,  during  the 
war,  and  across  the  prairies  and  Rocky  Mountains, 
forcing  his  way,  with  equal  spirit,  through  civilized 
and  savage  enemies.  As  a  gallant  naval  officer  and 
intrepid  traveller,  with  the  courage  to  face  and  the 


NOBLE    ACTION   OF    LIEUT.  BEALL.  87 

energy  to  overcome  every  difficulty  and  peril,  we  can 
well  believe  he  has  no  superior ;  but  we  have  recently 
heard  an  anecdote  told  of  him,  being  the  account  of  a 
circumstance  which  happened  on  the  last  journey  to 
California,  from  which  he  has  only  so  lately  returned, 
which,  while  it  illustrates  the  dangers  of  the  road, 
proves  that  there  is  another  quality  in  him  higher 
than  mere  resolution  and  bravery, — a  humane  and 
generous  disposition,  which  gives  .to  those  virtues  the 
character  of  heroism. 

It  was,  we  believe,  in  the  Gila  country,  that  Lieu- 
tenant Beall,  having  encamped  his  party,  and  placed 
it  in  safety,  went  out  hunting.  He  set  out  alone,  on 
a  favourite  saddle  mare,  which  was  generally  kept  up 
or  spared  for  such  occasions.  About  six  miles  from 
the  camp,  he  had  the  good  fortune  to  kill  a  deer ;  and 
he  was  on  the  ground  dressing  the  carcass,  when,  on 
looking  up,  he  suddenly  beheld  a  troop  of  mounted 
Apaches,  who  had  discovered  him,  and  were  dashing 
furiously  towards  him.  They  had,  doubtless,  heard 
the  report  or  seen  the  smoke  of  his  rifle,  and  so  were 
on  him  before  he  was  aware ;  but  he  knew  very  well 
that  to  be  overtaken  by  them,  a  single  white  man 
among  those  naked  hills  which  they  called  their  own. 
was  certain  death;  and,  accordingly,  leaving  his 
quarry  and  mounting  in  hot  haste,  he  relied  upon  the 
mettle  of  his  mare,  which  he  put  to  her  full  speed,  to 
carry  him  back  in  safety  to  the  camp.  Away  darted 
the .  young  lieutenant,  and  on  rushed  the  savages, 
thundering  and  yelling  in  the  certain  assurance  of 
their  prey.     But  confident  as  they  were,  the  fugitive 


88  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

was  quite  as  well  satisfied  of  his  ability  to  escape ; 
although  their  horses  were  fresher  than  the  mare,  and 
it  was  pretty  certain  they  were  gaining  slightly  upon 
her,  and  would  give  her  a  severe  contest  before  reach- 
ing the  camp. 

Thus  assured  of  his  safety,  but  not  relaxing  his 
speed,  Lieutenant  Beall  had  recovered  half  his  distance 
from  the  camp,  when,  dashing  over  the  crest  of  a  hill, 
he  Vas  horrified  at  the  sight  of  one  of  his  own  men, 
on  foot,  climbing  the  hill,  and  in  fact,  following  in  his 
trail  to  assist  him  in  the  hunt.  The  sight  of  the  lieu- 
tenant flying  down  the  hill  at  such  a  furious  rate  was, 
doubtless,  enough;  perhaps  the  poor  fellow  could 
hear  the  whoops  of  the  Indians  ascending  the  hill 
from  the  opposite  side ;  at  all  events,  he  understood 
his  fate,  and  spreading  his  arms  before  the  horse's 
head,  he  cried  out,  with  the  accents  of  despair,  "Oh, 
Mr.  Beall,  save  me !  I  am  a  husband  and  the  father 
of  six  helpless  children !"  Never  was  prayer  more 
quickly  heard,  or  more  heroically  answered. 

The  lieutenant,  though  riding  for  his  own  life,  im- 
mediately stopped  his  mare,  dismounted,  and,  giving 
her  to  the  man,  said,  "You  shall  be  saved.  Kide 
back  to  the  camp,  and  send  them  out  to  give  my 
body  decent  burial !"  And  so  they  parted, — the  foot- 
man to  escape,  the  ofiicer,  as  he  supposed,  to  be  slain ; 
for  the  hill  was  utterly  bare,  without  a  single  hiding 
place,  and  he  thought  of  nothing  but  selling  his  life 
as  dearly  as  possible.  For  this  purpose,  he  drew  his 
revolver,  and,  sitting  down  on  the  ground,  waited  for 
the  savages;  who  in  a  moment  came  rushing  over  the 


NOBLE    ACTION    OF    LIEUT.  BEALL.  91 

brow  of  the  hill,  and  then,  to  the  unspeakable  amaze- 
ment of  Lieutenant  Beall,  dashed  past  him  down  the 
descent  like  madmen,  not  a  soul  of  them  paying  the 
least  regard  to  him,  not  a  soul,  in  fact,  seeing  him. 
They  saw,  in  reality,  nothing  but  the  horse  and  the 
horseman  they  had  been  pursuing  for  three  miles; 
they  knew  nothing  of  a  footman ;  and  perhaps  the 
sitting  figure  of  the  lieutenant  appeared,  to  eyes  only 
bent  on  one  attractive  object,  as  a  stone  or  huge  cac- 
tus, such  as  abound  on  those  sterile  hills. 

At  all  events.  Lieutenant  Beall,  by  what  seemed  to 
himself  almost  a  direct  providential  interposition  in 
his  behalf,  remained  wholly  undiscovered ;  and  in  a 
moment  more  the  Apaches  were  out  of  sight,  still 
pursuing  the  horse  and  his  rider  to  the  camp.  The 
latter  barely  succeeded  in  escaping  with  his  life,  the 
Indians  having  overhauled  him  so  closely,  just  as  he 
reached  the  camp,  as  to  be  able  to  inflict  one  or  two 
slight  wounds  upon  him  with  bullets,  or  perhaps  with 
arrows.  As  for  Lieutenant  Beall,  he  was  not  slow  to 
take  advantage  of  his  good  fortune ;  and  selecting  a 
roundabout  course,  he  succeeded  in  reaching  the 
camp  just  about  the  time  the  poor  fellow  whom  he 
had  saved,  and  the  other  members  of  the  party,  were 
about  sallying  out  to  obey  his  last  request,  and  give 
his  body  decent  burial. 

Upon  such  an  act  as  this  it  were  superfluous  to 
comment.  It  is  an  act,  however,  which  deserves  to 
live  in  men*s  recollections,  like  the  story  of  a  great 
battle  and  victory. 


# 


92 


THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 


GENERAL     E£ARNT. 


The  modern  reader  is  too  apt  to  regard  Indian 
attacks  and  their  consequent  evils  as  events  belong- 
ing to  time  long  since  passed.  In  our  great  cities  an 
Indian  is  a  curiosity;  the  land  which  once  knew  none 
but  his  ancestors  knows  them  no  more ;  and  their 
successors,  the  sons  of  civilization,  know  of  the  war- 
whoop,  the  midnight  attack,  and  the  burning  village 
only  through  the  medium  of  some  dusty  narrative. 
Hence  many  at  the  present  day  cannot  conceive  of  a 
wild  Indian ;  or,  if  they  can,  he  is  regarded  as  the 
same  degenerate,  harmless  being,  as  we  see  some^ 


MASSACRE    AT   TAOS.  M^ 

times  exhibited  in  theatres  and  museums.  It  has 
been  our  desire  to  dissipate  this  delusion  by  relating 
various  stirring  events  which  transpired  during  the 
war  with  Mexico.  That  great  event  removed  many 
a  veil  of  prejudice,  or  ignorance,  which  had  hitherto 
hung  over  American  vision.  It  exhibited  in  his  true 
colours  a  being  hitherto  unknown  to  the  world — the 
western  ranger.  It  made  known  adventures  of  hard- 
ship and  daring,  at  which  the  boasted  personal 
prowess  of  the  heroes  of  antiquity  sinks  into  insig- 
nificance  or  contempt;  and  it  displayed  the  important 
fact,  that  the  Indians  of  the  western  wilds  are  the 
same  daring,  independent,  and,  in  some  respects, 
cruel  race,  that  their  progenitors  were  two  hundred 
years  ago.  In  addition  to  the  incidents  elsewhere 
related,  we  give  below  an  account  of  the  outrage 
committed  by  a  party  of  Indians  upon  the  American 
garrison  at  Taos,  a  trading  post  in  New  Mexico. 

In  1846,  an  American  army,  under  General 
Kearny,  marched  into  New  Mexico  and  received 
the  submission  and  oath  of  allegiance  of  the  autho- 
rities at  Santa  Fe.  After  Kearny's  departure  from 
that  city,  the  inhabitants  conspired  against  the  Ame- 
rican government ;  but  their  object  was  discovered, 
and  its  execution  prevented.  The  population  of 
New  Mexico  includes  no  inconsiderable  portion 
of  Indians;  and  these  people,  inflamed,  no  doubt, 
by  their  Mexican  neighbours,  had  entered  heart- 
ily into  the  conspiracy.  Although  it  had  been 
discovered,  they  did  not  abandon  the  hope  of  execut- 
ing it ;  and  their  superior  cunning  soon  afforded  them 


94  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

opportunity  to  make  the  attempt.  On  the  19  th  of 
January,  1847,  a  considerable  number  of  them  col- 
lected in  the  village  of  Taos  to  obtain  the  release  of 
two  companions  whom  the  authorities  had  impri- 
soned. So  singular  a  demand  was,  of  course,  re- 
fused ;  when,  without  repeating  it,  the  Indians  mur- 
dered the  sheriff  and  the  Mexican  prefect,  broke  into 
the  prison,  and  released  the  prisoners.  Instead  of 
retiring,  they  then  rushed  through  the  village,  and 
forced  their  way  into  a  house  where  Governor  Bent 
had  but  a  short  time  previously  taken  up  a  temporary 
residence.  In  this  extremity,  the  unfortunate  man 
appears  to  have  lost  his  presence  of  mind,  neither 
fighting  nor  retreating  until  it  was  too  late  to  do 
either.  As  the  Indians  approached  his  room,  he 
decided  upon  retreating;  but,  being  wounded  in  at- 
tempting to  jump  from  the  window,  he  returned,  and 
was  shot  through  the  body  by  the  Indians.  Then 
followed  a  scene  sickening  to  every  one  but  a  savage. 
The  dying  man  was  shot  in  the  face  with  his  own 
pistol,  then  scalped,  and,  lastly,  nailed  to  a  board. 
A  Mr.  Leal,  acting  at  that  time  as  district  attorney, 
was  killed  by  slow  torture,  after  having  been  scalped 
alive.  Some  others  were  killed  in  another  part  of 
the  village;  and  the  Indians  afterwards  formed  in 
procession,  parading  the  bodies  of  the  governor  and 
attorney  through  the  village.  The  object  of  the 
savages  was  undoubtedly  to  excite  an  insurrection , 
but  in  this  they  were  again  disappointed. 


ADVENTURES   OF    COLONEL    HAYS. 


95 


OOLOirXL    HATS. 


The  war  between  the  United  States  and  Mexico 
brought  into  conspicuous  notice  individuals  whose 
abilities  for  border  warfare  have  since  been  a  theme 
of  wonder  and  admiration,  both  in  America  and  Eu- 
rope.    Born  amid  the  wilds  of  Texas  or  of  the  west, 


*  For  the  facts  in  this  sketch  we  are  indebted  to  Lieutenant 
Reid's  "  Scouting  Sketches  of  the  Texas  Rangers." 


96  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

accustomed  to  the  Indian's  whoop  and  the  glare  of  the 
burning  village,  they  had  early  become  initiated  into 
danger,  as  to  their  natural  element,  and  from  early 
youth  looked  forward  to  the  battle-field  as  the  thea- 
tre of  distinction  and  renown.  At  an  age  when  the 
more  favoured  son  of  an  Atlantic  clime  is  quietly  stu- 
dying amid  the  shades  of  a  college,  these  youth  of 
the  wilderness,  armed  with  rifle  and  revolver,  were 
ranging  the  pathless  prairie,  surrounded  on  all  sides 
with  savage  Indians,  and  rancheros  still  more  sa- 
vage. In  this  school  of  excitement  and  danger,  such 
men  as  Gillespie,  Walker,  and  Hays  studied  the  va- 
ried arts  of  border  warfare.  They  met  the  Caman- 
che  on  his  own  ground  and  in  his  own  element ;  and, 
though  he  is  the  most  dreaded  of  all  Indians,  they 
conquered  him  with  his  own  weapons.  They  drove 
the  robber  and  marauder  from  the  Colorado  and  the 
Sabine  across  the  Kio  Grande,  and  avenged,  on  the 
prowling  bands  which  attacked  the  border  settle- 
ments, the  massacres  of  Mier  and  of  the  Alamo. 
When  war  was  declared  against  Mexico,  they,  with 
united  heart,  came  forward  against  their  old  enemy, 
and,  whenever  employed,  evinced  a  coolness  and 
daring  as  wonderful  as  it  was  serviceable. 

One  of  the  most  famous  of  these  partisans  is  Co- 
lonel John  C.  Hays,  known  among  the  Indians  and 
Mexicans  as  "  Captain  Jack."  His  feats  among  the 
Camanches  would  furnish  materials-  for  a  volume. 
In  the  year  1841,  he  formed  one  of  a  party  of  fifteen 
or  twenty  men,  employed  to  survey  some  lands  near 
what  is  called  by  the  Indians  the  Enchanted  Rock. 


ADVENTURES   OF    COLONEL  HAYS.  97 

This  rock  forms  the  apex  of  a  high,  round  hill,  rug- 
ged and  difficult  to  climb.  In  the  centre  is  a  circu- 
lar hollow,  sufficiently  large  to  allow  a  small  party  of 
men  to  lie  in  it,  the  projecting  sides  serving  as  a  pro- 
tection from  assault  without. 

While  the  surveying  party  were  engaged  not  far 
from  the  base  of  the  hill,  they  were  suddenly  attacked 
by  a  band  of  Indians.  Hays,  being  at  some  distance 
from  the  party,  ascended  the  hill,  and,  intrenching 
himself  within  the  Enchanted  Kock,  determined  to 
sell  his  life  as  dearly  as  possible.  He  was  well  known 
to  the  Indians ;  ai;d,  being  eager  to  secure  him  at  all 
hazards,  they  mounted  the  hill,  surrounded  the  rocky 
fort,  and  prepared  to  charge.  Hays  was  fully  sensi- 
ble that  his  life  depended  more  upon  his  skill  than 
his  courage.  Instead,  therefore,  of  rashly  throwing 
away  his  fire,  whenever  the  Indians  came  near,  he 
rose,  presented  his  rifle  and  revolvers,  and  waited  the 
charge.  Knowing  his  unerring  aim,  they  would  fall 
back,  and  Hays  would  resume  his  former  position. 
In  this  manner  they  alternately  advanced  and  re- 
treated for  more  than  an  hour,  howling  in  the  mean 
time  most  frightfully.  At  last,  ashamed  to  be  foiled 
by  one  man,  they  rushed  forward.  Hays  sprang  to 
his  feet  and  presented  his  rifle.  They  still  advanced. 
He  fired,  and,  seizing  his  revolver,  discharged  it 
rapidly  among  the  crowded  mass.  At  the  same  time, 
by  skilful  manoeuvres,  he  avoided  their  arrows,  and 
managed  to  load  his  rifle  and  pistol.  The  battle  was 
maintained  in  this  manner  for  three  hours,  when 

13  I 


08  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

Hays's  men,  having  fought  their  way  through  the 
Indian  ranks,  advanced  to  his  relief. 

In  July,  1844,  Hays,  with  fourteen  men,  advanced 
toward  the  Pierdenales  river,  about  eighty  miles  from 
San  Antonio.  At  that  time  the  Texan  border  was 
exposed  to  the  excursions  of  the  Camanches,  and 
many  families  had  either  been  carried  away  by  those 
Indians  or  driven  into  the  interior.  It  was  for  the 
purpose  of  discovering  their  haunts  and  of  checking 
the  movements  of  their  marauding  parties,  Hays's 
party  of  Rangers  had  been  equipped.  Among  his 
men  were  "Walker,  Gillespie,  and  others,  who  after- 
wards rendered  themselves  famous.  On  reaching  the 
river,  the  party  came  in  sight  of  about  fifteen  Ca- 
manches mounted  on  good  horses,  and  apparently 
eager  for  battle.  As  Hays  advanced,  they  retreated 
towards  a  thick  copse  of  undergrowth,  or  chaparral, 
which  convinced  him  that  they  were  but  a  portion  of 
a  still  larger  party  which  lay  there  concealed.  He, 
therefore,  restrained  the  impetuosity  of  his  men,  and, 
taking  a  circuitous  route  round  the  clump  of  chap- 
arral, drew  them  up  on  a  ridge,  separated  from  the 
enemy  by  a  deep  ravine.  Immediately  after,  the 
Indians  showed  themselves  to  the  number  of  seventy- 
five.  Hays,  aware  that  a  battle  could  not  be  avoided, 
determined  to  choose  his  own  ground  and  manner  of 
conducting  the  attack.  He  moved  slowly  down  the 
hill  with  his  men  until  they  reached  the  ravine,  the 
sides  of  which  hid  them  from  the  Indians,  when, 
starting  at  full  gallop  to  its  extreme  length,  he  turned 
the  rid^e  and  gained  the  enemy's  rear.     The  Caman- 


ADVENTURES    OF    COLONEL    HAYS.  99 

ches,  having  their  eyes  fixed  upon  the  side  of  the 
ravine  opposite  to  the  point  from  which  the  Rangers 
had  left  it,  did  not  perceive  their  danger  until  they 
were  aroused  by  the  report  of  a  dozen  rifles.  They 
were  immediately  thrown  into  confusion,  but  soon 
recovered  and  prepared  for  the  charge.  Hays  formed 
his  men  into  a  circle,  and  ordered  each  one  to  grasp 
his  revolver.  Twenty-one  of  the  Indians  were  killed 
at  the  first  fire;  the  remainder  fell  back.  Hays 
changed  his  position  and  charged  furiously.  A  bat- 
tle ensued  which  lasted  nearly  an  hour,  the  two  par- 
ties charging  and  retreating  alternately.  The  amu- 
nition  of  the  Rangers  was  at  length  exhausted,  -• '  *  ^ 
the  Indian  chief  perceiving,  he  collected  his  warriors 
for  a  decisive  struggle. 

Of  Hays's  little  band,  two  were  now  killed,  and 
four  or  five  wounded ;  the  remainder  were  without 
effective  arms.  The  result,  therefore,  of  a  contest 
with  some  fifty  Indians  must  be  complete  destruction. 
But,  at  the  moment  when  the  Camanches  were  bend- 
ing forward  to  the  charge.  Hays  ascertained  that  Gil- 
lespie had  not  discharged  his  rifle.  "Dismount  im- 
mediately," exclaimed  Hays,  "  and  shoot  the  chief." 
That  action  decided  the  battle.  Thirty  of  the  In- 
dians were  left  dead  upon  the  field. 


#  * 


iOO  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 


Although,  in  early  times,  the  Indians  were  the 
terror  of  our  western  settlements,  this  fact  must  be 
ascribed  to  the  scattered  condition  of  the  inhabitants 
and  their  paucity  of  number,  rather  than  to  any 
want  of  courage.  Yet  even  in  that  period  of  misery 
and  murder,  a  class  of  men  were  training  themselves 
in  the  Indian's  own  school,  to  avenge  the  slaughter  of 
their  neighbours,  wives,  and  parents.  In  all  the  arts 
and  stratagems  of  war  and  the  chase,  the  western 
hunter  and  pioneer  was  a  real  Indian.  Not  unfre- 
quently  superior  to  his  dusky  antagonists  in  strata- 
gem and  ingenuity. 

Two  brothers  named  Poe  were  of  this  character. 
Each  was  remarkable  for  strength  and  gigantic  size, 
qualities  which  rendered  them  conspicuous  in  nearly 
every  affair  with  the  Indians  at  that  period.  On  one 
of  these  occasions,  they  started  with  six  other  men, 
in  pursuit  of  a  party  of  Indian  marauders,  who  had 
been  seen  between  "Wheeling  and  Fort  Pitt.  Fearing 
an  ambuscade,  Adam  Poe  left  the  band,  crossed  the 
Ohio,  and,  concealed  among  the  high  weeds,  searched 
about  for  the  enemy.  He  soon  perceived  two  Indians, 
one  of  them  a  powerful  man,  standing  upon  the 
shore  watching  for  the  white  men.  Poe  took  deliber- 
ate aim,  but  his  gun  missed,  and  the  snap  of  the  lock 
betrayed  him-  Too  near  to  retreat,  he  sprang  upon 
the  bank,  seized  the  large  Indian  by  the  breast  with 
one  hand,  and  the  small  one  round  the  neck  with  the 


i 


POe's    adventure    with    two    INDIANS.  103 

other,  and  threw  both  to  the  ground.  The  smaller 
one  regained  his  feet,  but  while  in  the  act  of  striking 
with  his  tomahawk,  he  received  a  kick  which  shook 
the  weapon  from  his  hand.  Poe  was  now  seized  by 
the  chief,  while  the  smaller  Indian  regained  his 
tomahawk  and  performed  sundry  flourishes  aroun'I 
the  hunter's  head,  preparatory  to  striking  a  fatal 
blow.  Aware  of  the  object  of  this  scientific  exhibi- 
tion, Poe  calmly  waited  for  the  final  stroke,  when 
throwing  up  his  arm,  he  saved  his .  head  at  the  ex- 
pense of  his  wrist.  The  chief  now  attempted  to 
throw  him  down,  but,  extricating  himself  he  seized 
his  gun  and  shot  his  smaller  antagonist  dead.  In- 
stantly the  other  seized  and  threw  him  to  the  ground. 
Poe  bounded  to  his  feet  in  a  moment,  when  a  struggle 
*  commenced  which  precipitated  both  into  the  Ohio. 
Here,  in  another  element,  the  fierce  combatants  re- 
newed their  struggle,  one  striving  to  drown  the  other. 
After  each  had  several  times  been  pushed  under 
water,  Poe,  by  a  dexterous  effort,  seized  the  chief- 
tain's thick  knot  of  hair,  dragged  his  head  under 
water,  and  held  it  until,  as  he  supposed,  life  was  ex- 
tinct. But  no  sooner  had  he  loosed  his  hold,  than 
the  Indian  was  again  erect,  the  struggle  recommenced, 
and  both  were  carried  beyond  their  depth.  They 
now  aimed  for  the  shore,  each  striving  to  gain  it  first, 
so  as  to  seize  one  of  the  guns  there.  The  Indian 
succeeded,  and  Poe  made  for  the  middle  of  the  stream, 
so  as  to  escape  the  shot  by  diving.  Fortunately  the 
chief  first  took  the  empty  gun,  which  enabled  Poe  to 
get  further  into  the  river.    At  this  moment  two  of  the 


104  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

whites  came  up,  and  through  mistake  wounded  Poe 
in  the  shoulder.  He  turned  and  swam  bleeding 
toward  the  shore,  and  recognising  his  brother,  called 
on  him  to  shoot  the  Indian.  This  was  done,  and  Poe 
plunged  into  the  water  to  help  his  brother.  Mean- 
while the  dying  Indian,  to  escape  being  scalped, 
threw  himself  into  deep  water  and  was  drowned. 


®ajrtaitt  %tW^  M&Uk  tofti  t|^  Eipaw  Iw^fam^^ 

The  recent  Mexican  war  brought  our  soldiers,  on 
more  than  one  occasion,  in  contact  with  the  various 
tribes  of  Indians  inhabiting  the  wilds  to  the  north 
and  west  of  Mexico.  The  warriors  of  these  nations,  * 
untamed  as  yet  by  bitter  experience,  displayed  a 
courage  and  heroism  that  would  have  conferred  hon- 
our on  a  Philip  or  a  Tecumseh.  One  of  the  most 
spirited  of  these  skirmishes,  was  an  attack  by  a  de- 
tachment of  Colonel  Doniphan's  men,  upon  a  party  of 
Lipan  warriors  near  the  rancho  of  El  Paso.  The 
colonel  was  marching  from  Chihuahua  to  Saltillo 
(May  13, 1847)  and  had  detached  Captain  Keid,  with 
thirty  men  to  El  Paso,  as  an  advance  guard.  About 
nine  o'clock  in  the  morning,  the  captain  observed  a 
party  of  Indians  emerging  from  a  gap  in  the  moun- 
tains, five  miles  distant,  and  advancing  toward  the 
rancho.  They  numbered  about  sixty,  and  were  re- 
turning from  an  attack  upon  a  neighbouring  Mexican 
town,  where  they  had  secured  many  prisoners  and 


CAPTAIN    REID  S   BATTLE.  105 

more  than  a  thousand  horses  and  mules.  Although 
in  arms  against  the  Mexicans,  Keid  lost  no  time  in 
deciding  upon  his  course.  The  number  of  Indians 
was  double  his  own;  they  had  the  advantage  of 
ground;  they  could,  if  it  were  needful,  retreat  at 
once,  and  either  escape  or  perhaps  draw  him  into  an 
ambush ;  but  he  determined  on  rescuing  the  prisoners. 
At  the  word  of  command,  each  American  was  in  the 
saddle,  and  the  whole  party  bore  down  at  full  speed 
upon  the  Indians.  The  latter  coolly  awaited  the 
charge,  and  opened  the  skirmish  by  a  partial  dis- 
charge of  arrows.  The  Americans  answered  by  an 
entire  volley  from  their  rifles.    Immediately  the  In- 

,  dians,  raising  a  yell,  rushed  forward  and  discharged 
theif  arrows  with  astonishing  rapidity.     After  fight- 

•ing  for  some, time,  the  Americans  were  driven  back, 
but  having*  reloaded,  they  again  charged  and  drove 
fhe' Indians  before  them.  The  superior  horsemanship 
of  the  latter  aflforded  them  great  advantages.  They 
waved  meir  bodies  in  the  saddles,  galloped  swiftly 
up  and  down,  and  by  other  methods  known  only  to 
savages,  contrived  to  elude  the  American  balls.  The 
battle  continued  nearly  two  hours,  each  party  charg- 
ing and  retreating  alternately,  and  keeping  up  a  con- 
tinual fire.  At  length  the  captain's  men  began  to 
gain  ground,  inch  by  inch,  as  the  Indians  becoming 
discouraged,  fought  with  less  obstinacy  and  less  skill. 
In  the  final  retreat  the  latter  sufiered  severely,  leav- 
ing fifteen  dead  on  the  field  and  carrying  away  a  still 
larger  number,  together  with  all  their  wounded. 
Nine  Mexican  prisoners  were  recovered  and  restored 

14 


106  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

to  liberty,  and  a  herd  of  one  thousand  horses  and 
mules,  were  apportioned,  as  far  as  practicable,  to  their 
original  owners 

In  this  affair  Captain  Reid  was  the  only  American 
wounded,  although  some  of  his  men  had  received 
arrows  in  their  clothes.  Throughout  the  battle  he 
was  ably  assisted  by  Lieutenants  Gordon,  Spruel,  and 
Winston.  A  Mexican  horseman  assisted  during  the 
skirmish,  and  with  his  lasso  dragged  down  and  killed 
two  Indians.  The  medicine  man  of  the  Lipans  was 
killed  and  left  upon  the  field — a  loss,  no  doubt, 
severely  felt  by  the  savages.  During  the  day,  the 
prefect  of  Parras  waited  upon  Captain  Reid,  with  an 
official  document  from  the  authorities  and  citizens  of 
that  place,  expressing  their  admiration  and  gratitude 
for  his  noble  conduct,  and  their  sympathy  on  hearing 
of  his  wound. 


FIGHT    OF    COLONEL    KINNEY. 


107 


^k0' 


CORPUS    CHRISTI. 


Corpus  Christi,  rendered  classic  ground  by  its  con- 
nection with  the  history  of  General  Taylor's  first  Mex- 
ican campaign,  was  settled  by  Colonel  H.  L.  Kinney  in 
1838.  He  established  there  a  trading  post,  which 
was  long  known  among  the  Texans  as  Kinney's 
Kanch.  Being  the  extreme  frontier  settlement,  it 
was  exposed  to  the  incursions  of  the  Lipan  and  Ca- 
manche  Indians,  which  obliged  the  proprietor  to  lead, 
from  the  time  of  settlement  until  the  Mexican  war, 
a  life  of  constant  vigilance  and  battle.  He  was  one 
of  the  calm,  fearless  men,  peculiarly  fitted  by  nature 
for  a  life  of  wild  adventure ;  and  his  many  exploits 
among  the  Indians  would  afford  materials  for  a  most 
exciting  narrative.     One  of  these,  the  subject  of  our 


108  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

story,  is  his  skirmish  with  a  party  of  Camanches, 
under  one  of  their  celebrated  chiefs,  named  Santa 
Anna. 

The  Camanches  are,  perhaps,  the  most  warlike 
tribe  on  the  American  continent,  and  were  long- 
dreaded  by  the  Texans,  the  Mexicans,  and  the  sur- 
rounding Indians,  as  their  most  formidable  enemies. 
Seventeen  of  these  savages,  under  Santa  Anna,  sud- 
denly attacked  the  houses  near  Kinney's  Kanch,  com- 
mitted devastations  upon  the  lands  and  buildings, 
and  hastily  retreated.  Colonel  Kinney  immediately 
summoned  his  neighbours,  numbering  eleven,  mount- 
ed the  swiftest  horses,  and  overtook  the  Indians  on  a 
prairie.  Both  parties  reined  up,  dismounted,  and 
began  skirmishing.  At  the  distance  of  fifty  yards 
the  firing  commenced,  each  man  on  either  side  sin- 
gling out  his  victim.  After  the  fight  had  continued 
for  some  time,  Santa  Anna  suddenly  dashed  to  the 
front,  and,  holding  his  raw-hide  shield  before  him, 
ran  along  the  line  of  his  opponents.  The  hunters 
fired  on  him ;  but  their  balls  rattled  harmlessly  on 
his  shield.  The  object  of  this  bold  manoeuvre  was 
soon  apparent.  The  Indians,  having  drawn  their 
antagonists'  fire,  rushed  upon  them.  The  colonel 
alone  had  time  to  mount  before  the  whole  savage  force 
was  mingling  in  a  hand  to  hand  struggle  with  him- 
self and  his  followers.  One  of  the  hunters  was  im- 
mediately speared  and  killed ;  another  was  speared 
and  shot  in  several  places  with  arrows.  A  young 
Mexican,  clerk  to  the  colonel,  was  speared  and  had 
his  horse  shot  under  him.     Kinney  dragged  him  on 


FIGHT   OF    COLONEL    KINNEY.  109 

to  his  own  horse.  Another  spear  pierced  him,  wound- 
ing Kinney  also  in  the  back.  At  the  same  moment 
the  colonel  parried  a  third  spear,  which  penetrated, 
however,  both  sleeves  of  his  buckskin  hunting-shirt. 
He  instantly  wheeled  his  horse  around,  tearing  the 
weapon  from  his  sleeves.  Meanwhile  the  clerk  was 
clinging  on  to  his  throat.  An  Indian  attempted  to 
reach  him,  but  was  shot  by  Kinney.  At  the  same 
moment  the  unfortunate  boy  was  speared  through  the 
abdomen.  He  relaxed  his  hold  and  fell  dead.  An- 
other Indian  aimed  at  Kinney,  but  he  dashed  his 
unloaded  pistol  in  his  face,  and  succeeded  in  wrest- 
ing the  spear  from  him. 

Santa  Anna  had  by  this  time  become  discouraged, 
and  withdrew  his  men  from  the  field.  He  had  lost 
seven  men.  Of  the  colonel's  party,  three  men  and 
nine  horses  were  killed,  and  all  the  survivors  wound- 
-ed.  One  had  received  five  arrows,  and  was  speared 
in  two  places.  Considering  the  small  number  en- 
gaged, this  skirmish  was  one  of  the  bloodiest  and 
most  obstinate  which  had  yet  taken  place  on  the 
Texas  frontier. 


no 


THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 


flltacfe  on  (S^fjerrs  ^aEeg. 

On  the  llth  of  November,  1778,  seven  hundred 
Tories  and  Indians,  led  by  Brant  and  Butler,  attacked 
the  fine  settlement  of  Cherry  Valley.  Colonel  Alden 
commanded  the  fort  in  the  vicinity :  on  the  10th,  the 
inhabitants,  warned  of  the  approach  of  the  Indians, 
requested  him  to  give  them  shelter  in  it.  He  refused, 
assuring  them  there  was  no  danger.  During  the  night, 
snow  and  rain  fell,  making  the  atmosphere  thick  and 
hazy.  Favoured  by  that  circumstance,  the  Indians 
in  the  morning  approached  the  fort  unperceived.  The 
ignorance  and  mistakes  of  the  colonel  favoured  them 
still  more.  Rushing  into  the  settlement,  the  Indians 
surrounded  the  houses  and  summoned  the  command- 
ant to  surrender.     He  endeavoured  to  escape,  was 


ATTACK    ON    CHERRY   VALLEY.  Ill 

overtaken,  killed  and  scalped.  The  guard,  being  out- 
side the  fort,  shared  his  fate  or  were  captured.  The 
family  of  Robert  Wells,  consisting  of  himself,  his 
mother,  wife,  brother,  sister,  four  children,  and  three 
domestics,  were  massacred.  Jane,  his  sister,  had  run 
to  a  wood-pile  to  screen  herself  The  Indian  who 
pursued  her,  deliberately  wiped  his  bloody  knife  on 
his  leggins,  sheathed  it,  and  seizing  the  girl,  drew  his 
tomahawk.  She  begged  for  life,  and  a  Tory  named 
Smith  seconded  her  intercession.  The  Indian  shook 
his  tomahawk  in  defiance,  and,  with  a  blow,  clove  her 
skull.  The  wife  of  Samuel  Dunlop,  an  aged  minister, 
was  killed ;  the  old  man  was  saved  by  a  Mohawk 
chief,  named  Little  Aaron,  but  he  died  in  about  a  year 
in  consequence  of  the  shock  then  received.  A  Mr. 
Mitchell  escaped  to  the  woods ;  the  Indians  murdered 
his  wife  and  four  children,  and  fired  his  house.  He 
returned  the  next  day,  and,  without  a  companion  to 
assist  him,  carried  his  family  on  a  sled  to  the  fort  and 
had  them  buried.  Colonel  Campbell  was  then  from 
home ;  on  his  return,  he  beheld  his  house  in  flames 
and  his  wife  and  children  carried  into  captivity. 
Thirty-two  inhabitants,  principally  women  and  chil- 
dren, were  killed,  and  sixteen  soldiers.  Some  few 
made  their  way  to  the  Mohawk  river;  the  remainder 
were  taken  prisoners.  Nearly  all  the  houses  and 
barns  were  burned.  Subsequently  the  settlement 
was  entirely  abandoned. 


112 


THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 


While  the  American  army,  under  General  Taylor, 
was  stationed  at  Monterey,  Major  McCulloch  with  a 
small  party  of  men  was  sent  from  that  city  to  San 
Antonio.  After  crossing  the  Nueces  about  noon,  the 
party  dismounted,  and,  placing  their  horses  near  by, 
lay  down  upon  the  grass  to  rest.  Suddenly  two 
Camanche  Indians  galloped  among  the  horses,  and 
effected  what  is  called  by  Spaniards  a  stampede,  which 
consists  in  so  frightening  those  animals  as  to  hurry 


ATTACK   UPON   AMERICAN   TRAINS.  113 

them  away  at  a  headlong  pace.  Happily  for  the 
party,  McCulloch's  horse,  and  that  of  Captain  Ches- 
hire, remained  quiet.  These  two  officers  immediately 
mounted  and  hurried  after  the  Indians.  The  major 
reaching  them  first,  received  several  arrows,  one  of 
which  wounded  his  horse.  He  dismounted  and  drew 
his  revolver,  but  it  would  not  go  off.  McCulloch  and 
one  of  the  Indians  now  began  to  manoeuvre,  while 
the  other  Indian  was  creeping  behind  the  major,  so 
as  to  shoot  him  with  his  rifle.  At  this  crisis,  Ches- 
hire arrived ;  McCulloch  wished  to  charge,  but  Ches- 
hire resolved  to  try  his  rifle.  It  missed,  and  a  run- 
ning fight  ensued,  during  which  the  major  advanced 
near  enough  to  discharge  his  revolver.  He  fired  twice 
without  effect,  the  third  time  the  pistol  broke.  Ches- 
hire fired  with  better  success,  wounding  his  man,  who, 
however,  made  good  his  escape.  Both  Indians  now 
retreated,  and  the  officers  seizing  the  horses  of  the 
party  returned  to  their  comrades. 


At  the  capture  of  Taos,  by  Colonel  Price,  during 
the  war  with  Mexico,  a  Delaware  Indian  named 
Nahcoma,  who  was  prisoner  at  that  place,  was  liber- 
ated. In  May,  1847,  he  started  to  return  to  his  own 
country,  but  on  the  road  encountered  a  band  of  In- 
dians, numbering,  as  he  supposed,  a  thousand,  and 
consisting  of  Camanches,  Arapahoes,  Pawnees,  and 

15  X2 


114  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

Osages.  Being  made  prisoner,  he  was  spared,  on  con- 
dition of  joining  the  band  in  a  contemplated  attack 
upon  some  white  men.  He  assented;  the  whole 
party  set  out,  and  in  a  few  days  encountered  an  Ame- 
rican train  of  thirty  mule  teams  and  ten  horsemen, 
a  few  miles  below  Walnut  creek.  The  wagons  were 
freighted  with  government  stores  for  the  use  of  the 
troops  at  Santa  F^. 

On  perceiving  this  little  party,  the  Indians  halted 
and  prepared  for  a  charge.  Of  the  particulars  of  the 
conflict  that  ensued  little  is  known.  The  Americans 
were  driven  from  their  saddles,  and  not  one  escaped 
to  tell  the  story.  After  this  scene  of  slaughter,  the 
savages  rifled  the  wagons  of  such  things  as  they  re- 
quired, and  drove  the  mules  away.  For  his  services 
in  the  afiair,  Nahcoma  was  presented  with  a  fine 
mule,  and  permitted  to  depart. 

The  above  account,  in  substance,  was  given  by  Nah- 
coma himself,  on  his  arrival  in  Missouri.  There  ap- 
pears little  reason  to  doubt  it,  since  the  mule  upon 
which  he  rode  was  recognised  as  one  upon  which  a 
government  oflB-cer  had  formerly  set  out  for  the  west. 
The  party  is  supposed  to  have  been  one  commanded 
by  Captain  Miller. 

At  the  same  place  ("Walnut  Creek)  another  party 
of  Americans  was  attacked  by  about  one  hundred 
Arapahoe  Indians,  in  June,  1847.  The  assailants 
did  not  succeed  so  well  as  their  comrades  had  formerly 
done.  It  seems  that  a  Mr.  Sharp  and  the  wagon- 
master,  had  gone  out  in  quest  of  bufialoes.  They 
had  not  proceeded  more  than  three  hundred  yards, 


Attack  upon  Lieut  Peck's  Train. 


MASSACRE    OF    AMERICAN   VOLUNTEERS.         117 

when  they  were  charged  by  three  separate  parties  of 
savages.  Sharp  fired  and  killed  a  chief;  in  the  next 
moment  he  was  riddled  by  balls  and  arrows,  and  fell 
dead.  His  companion,  by  simply  presenting  his  gun, 
kept  the  enemy  at  bay,  until  the  party  arrived  to  his 
assistance.  The  Indians  then  retreated,  carrying  with 
them  Sharp's  scalp  and  more  than  sixty  horses  and 
mules. 

A  short  time  previous  to  this  affair.  Lieutenant 
Peck,  with  a  train  party  was  attacked  by  ninety  Ca- 
manche  Indians,  and  lost  ten  horses.  He  then  fell 
back  and  waited  two  days  in  expectation  of  being 
joined  by  other  trains.  He  was  again  attacked,  how- 
ever, and  lost  all  his  animals.  This  second  attack 
resulted  in  a  rather  serious  skirmish,  during  which 
one  Williams  was  severely  lanced  in  the  body,  and 
several  others  had  their  clothing  cut  by  balls.  At 
the  bend  of  the  Arkansas,  this  unlucky  party  was 
attacked  by  Pawnees,  who  stole  two  horses  and  en- 
deavoured, without  effect,  to  excite  a  stampede  among 
the  others.  The  train  reached  its  destination  with- 
out further  injury. 


In  the  summer  of  1847,  a  company  of  volunteers, 
under  Colonel  Easton,  was  encamped  on  the  Arkan- 
sas, ready  for  service  in  the  war  then  going  on  with 
Mexico.     The  men,  being  but  raw  recruits,  were  ac- 


118  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

customed  to  wander  from  camp,  frequently  unarmed, 
and  sometimes  to  pass  a  considerable  time  in  the 
wilderness.  Along  the  wagon  route  on  the  north  side 
of  the  river,  there  is  so  little  timber  that  it  was  often 
necessary  to  cross  to  the  other  side  to  obtain  it.  In- 
stead of  going  in  a  body  and  in  regular  order,  the 
volunteers  appear  to  have  crossed,  each  by  himself, 
or  at  best  in  squads  of  eight  or  ten.  It  was  at  length 
rumoured  that  Indians  were  in  the  vicinity,  and  the 
Americans  became  more  careful ;  yet  the  fatal  negli- 
gence of  crossing  the  river  unarmed  was  not  al- 
together corrected. 

On  the  25th  of  July,  twenty-five  men  crossed  to 
the  opposite  bank,  and  spread  themselves  over  an 
area  of  several  hundred  yards.  Suddenly  a  patty 
of  savages,  supposed  to  number  five  hundred,  rose 
from  the  grass  and  surrounded  the  volunteers.  Most 
of  the  latter  rushed  for  the  river ;  a  few,  happening  to 
be  armed,  discharged  their  pieces  and  the  remainder 
sought  to  break  through  the  Indians  into  the  outer 
country.  One  was  chased  into  the  stream  and  there 
killed ;  another  was  severely  wounded  on  the  bank. 
A  third,  named  Benjamin  Frost,  was  observed  to  fight 
desperately  with  his  clubbed  rifle.  That  night,  when 
the  volunteers  searched  the  ground  for  the  slain,  he 
could  not  be  found.  Next  day,  about  noon,  he  was 
observed  on  the  south  bank  of  the  river,  whither  he 
had  crawled.  He  was  able  to  speak,  and  stated  that 
he  remembered  nothing  after  his  fall,  until  he  was 
awakened  that  morning  by  the  firing  in  the  camp. 
The  Indians  in  scalping  him  had  flayed  his  entire 


THE    ROSE    OF    GUADALOUPE.  123 

rushed  toward  the  village.  The  warriors  were  in- 
stantly roused,  and,  gathering  in  close  array,  awaited 
the  charge.  They  numbered  two  hundred,  while 
the  Texans  were  but  forty.  The  assault  was  that  of 
brave  men  made  desperate.  It  was  received  with 
firmness,  and  one  of  those  war  scenes  began  where, 
mingled  with  friend  and  foe,  each  man  singles  out 
his  man  in  the  cruel  strife,  not  for  fame,  but  revenge. 
All  day  that  struggle  went  on.  Sometimes  the  Tex- 
ans,  sure  of  victory,  were  rushing  into  the  village, 
when  a  vigorous  charge  would  drive  them  back  over 
the  dead  bodies  of  friends  and  enemies.  Foremost 
in  danger  was  Lockhart.  He  cheered  his  friends  to 
duty;  he  engaged  one  after  another  of  the  enemy; 
he  more  than  once  approached  so  near  the  tent  in 
which  was  his  child  that  he  could  hear  her  voice  call- 
ing to  him.  But  the  superiority  of  numbers  pre- 
vailed. After  a  day  of  incessant  battle,  the  Texans 
were  forced  from  the  field,  dragging  after  them  the 
wretched  father.  Through  all  the  perils  of  that  day 
he  had  moved  as  though  possessing  a  charmed  life ; 
and,  though  forced  from  the  field,  he  came  off  unhurt. 
The  little  party  returned  sorrowfully  to  their  homes. 
Some  time  after  the  battle,  a  treaty  was  made  with 
the  Camanches,  and  the  girl  was  given  up.  But  her 
health  and  her  spirits  were  gone.  In  captivity  she 
had  suffered  every  extreme  of  hunger,  privation,  and 
abuse.  A  deep  melancholy  had  settled  over  her  once 
happy  countenance,  and  the  hours  which  she  spent 
by  herself  weeping,  showed  that  her  heart  was  broken. 
She  lived  at  home  but  a  few  months  before  death  re- 


124 


THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 


leased  her  from  her  sufferings.  We  are  indebted  for 
the  particulars  of  this  remarkable  capture  and  at- 
tempted rescue,  to  the  "Scouting  Sketches  of  the 
Texas  Kangers,"  an  eloquent  narrative  from  the  pen 
of  Lieutenant  Samuel  C.  Reid. 


The  rivers  of  New  Brunswick  are  frequented  by  a 
great  variety  of  fish,  which  ascend  them  annually  to 
spawn.  The  principal  of  these  are  the  salmon,  stur- 
geon, bass,  shad,  gaspereau,  smelts,  and  some  others 
of  less  importance.  The  rivers  also  abound  with  a 
great  variety  of  fish,  which  are  constantly  found  in 


THX    PERCl 


these  waters,  and  never  descend  to  the  sea.  These 
are  the  trout,  perch,  (red  and  white,)  eels,  cusk, 
carp,  wach,  dace,  gudgeon,  bleak,  gizzard-fish,  and 
an  infinite  variety  of  others,  some  of  which  have 
not  even  a  name,  and  are  yet  undescribed  by  any 
professor  of  natural  history. 


IH£    SALMON. 


o 


INDIAN   FISHING   IN   NEW  BRUNSWICK.  127 

When  the  salmon  make  their  appearance  in  the 
Nashwak,  fleets  of  canoes,  each  containing  a  couple 
of  Indians,  leave  Fredericton  to  spear  them  b^  torch- 
light. The  fish,  checked  by  the  falls,  are  collected 
in  great  numbers  in  the  pools  below.  Nothing  can 
be  more  exciting  than  this  scene.  The  canoes,  hurled 
about  in  all  directions  by  the  foaming  tide ;  the  skill 
displayed  by  the  Indians  in  forcing  them  up  the  ra- 
pids, and  fending  them  off  the  rocks,  or  allowing  them 
to  plunge  head-foremost  down  stream,  when  they  sud- 
denly bring  them  to  and  transfix  their  fish.  The 
eagerness  of  the  chase,  the  contrast  of  the  flaming 
torches  with  the  black  masses  of  the  woods,  and  the 
fine  attitudes  of  the  men,  dashing  at  the  salmon  with 
their  long  spears,  form  a  wild  and  most  animating 
picture.  The  spear,  which  is  most  destructive,  is 
very  simple  in  its  construction,  and  does  not  lacerate 
or  spoil  the  fish.  A  spike  of  iron  is  fastened  between 
two  jaws  made  of  rock  maple,  into  the  end  of  a  long, 
light  fir  pole.  When  the  fish  is  stuck,  the  jaws  open 
far  enough  to  allow  the  spike  to  pierce  and  break  the 
vertebrae  of  the  spine,  and,  closing  round  the  fish  at 
the  same  time,  hold  it  fast. 


THE    STURGEON. 


The  sturgeon  of  the  New  Brunswick  waters  are 


128  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

large,  frequently  eight  feet  in  length,  and  sometimes 
twelve.  They  are  a  coarse  fish,  not  at  all  esteemed, 
are  seldom  caught  or  molested,  and  therefore  abound. 
When  running  up  stream,  they  leap  out  of  the  water 
to  a  great  height.  A  good  story  is  told  of  an  old 
squaw :  whilst  paddling  down  the  river,  one  of  these 
fish  jumped  on  board  her  canoe  with  such  impetus 
that  it  must  have  gone  clean  through  the  bottom,  had 
not  Molly  Greenbaize,  quick  as  lightning,  seized  it  by 
the  tail  before  the  head  and  shoulders  of  the  fish  had 
got  well  through ;  and,  its  progress  thus  arrested,  it 
did  the  duty  of  a  plug,  until  she  contrived  to  work 
her  canoe  ashore. 

The  trout-fishing  is  excellent,  and  nowhere  to  be 
surpassed,  except,  perhaps,  in  Labrador.     No  sooner 


THE    TEOUT. 


does  the  ice  break  up,  than  myriads  of  flies  appear 
upon  the  water,  and  the  trout  come  upon  them  at 
once.  The  Indians,  not  being  disciples  of  Izaak 
Walton,  know  no  other  means  of  fishing  for  them 
than  by  cutting  a  hole  in  the  ice,  when  the  fish  in- 
stantly come  to  the  aperture,  and  will  take  almost 
any  kind  of  bait;  they,  however,  do  not  consider 
them  worth  the  trouble  of  fishing  for,  and  only  resort 
to  the  piscatorial  art  when  in  actual  want  on  a  hunt- 
ing expedition,  or  when  other  game  fails.     In  the 


INDIAN   FISHING   IN   NEW   BRUNSWICK. 


129 


Bedhead  River,  some  few  miles  from  St.  Johns,  are  to 
be  caught  the  most  delicious  trout :  it  is  a  back-water 
from  the  sea,  and  is  occasionally  affected  by  it  at  very 
high  spring  tides,  a  circumstance  which,  no  doubt,  has 
its  influence  on  the  flavour  of  the  fish.  In  the  Lough 
Lomond  Lakes,  also  in  the  chain  of  lakes  beyond  the 
Bald  Mountain,  having  their  outlet  in  the  Musquash 
marshes,  and  in  the  rivers  connecting  these  lakes,  the 
fly-fishing  is  excellent. 


27 


130 


THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 


MANDAN    BURTING-PLACE. 


The  Indians  have,  in  their  different  tribes,  a  variety 
of  modes  of  disposing  of  their  dead.  Carver  says 
the  body  is  attired  in  the  same  dress  it  usually  wore 
whilst  living ;  and  other  travellers  inform  us  that  a 
warrior's  arms  and  his  medicine  bag  are  buried  with 
him,  for  his  use  in  the  world  of  spirits.  It  is  ascer- 
tained that,  in  former  times,  certain  tribes  deposited 
their  dead  in  caverns,  where  many  of  them  have  been 
found  placed  in  a  sitting  posture.  The  Sioux  and 
Mandans  (before  the  extinction  of  the  last-mentioned 
^ribe)  erected  stages  on  which  they  deposited  theii 


Great  Homed-owl  of  Virginia 


ADVENTURE  AT  AN  INDIAN  BURIAL-PLACE.        133 

dead.  The  engraving  above  represents  a  part  of  the 
burying-place  in  the  vicinity  of  the  principal  village 
of  the  Mandans.  We  have  copied  it  from  an  engrav- 
ing in  the  splendid  work  of  Prince  Maximilian  of 
TVled,  entitled  "Travels  in  the  Interior  of  North 
America."  The  prince  tells  us  that  near  these  stages 
were  several  high  poles,  with  skins  and  other  things 
hanging  on  them  as  offerings  to  the  lord  of  life,  Oma- 
hank-Numakshi,  or  to  the  first  man,  Numank-Ma- 
chana. 

Dr.  Richardson,  in  his  eloquent  work.  Fauna  Bo- 
reali-Americana,  relates  a  thrilling  adventure  at  an 
Indian  burial-place,  in  which  the  principal  performer 
was  the  Great  Homed  Owl  of  Virginia,  whose  loud 
and  full  nocturnal  cry,  "  Waugh  Oo ! — Waugh  Oo  !" 
issuing  from  the  gloomy  recesses  of  the  forest,  bears 
some  resemblance  to  the  human  voice,  uttered  in  a 
hollow  sepulchral  tone,  often  alarming  the  traveller. 
A  party  of  Scottish  Highlanders,  in  the  service  of 
the  Hudson's  Bay  Company,  happened,  in  a  winter 
journey,  to  encamp  after  night-fall  in  a  dense  clump 
of  trees,  whose  dark  tops  and  lofty  stems,  the  growth 
of  centuries,  gave  a  solemnity  to  the  scene  that 
strongly  tended  to  excite  the  superstitious  feelings  of 
the  Highlanders.  The  effect  was  heightened  by  the 
discovery  of  a  tomb,  which,  with  a  natural  taste, 
often  exhibited  by  the  Indians,  had  been  placed  in 
this  secluded  spot.  Our  travellers  having  finished 
their  supper,  were  trimming  their  fire  preparatory  to 
retiring  to  rest,  when  the  slow  and  dismal  notes  of 
the  Horned  Owl  fell  on  the  ear  with  a  startling  near- 

M 


134  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

ness.  None  of  them  being  acquainted  with .  the 
sound,  they  at  once  concluded  that  so  unearthly  a 
voice  must  be  the  moaning  of  the  spirit  of  the  de- 
parted, whose  repose  they  supposed  they  had  dis- 
turbed by  inadvertently  making  a  fire  of  some  of  the 
wood  of  which  his  tomb  had  been  constructed.  They 
passed  a  tedious  night  of  fear,  and  with  the  first 
dawn  of  day  hastily  quitted  the  ill-omened  spot. 


A  MOST  striking  tribute  to  worth  was  paid  a  few 
years  ago,  by  a  party  of  poor  Indians  who  came  from 
the  back  country  to  visit  Philadelphia. 

When  the  statue  in  the  Pennsylvania  Hospital 
yard  was  pointed  out  to  them  as  the  figure  of  "Father 
Onas,"  or  Penn,  they  all  with  one  accord  fell  down  on 
their  knees  before  it ;  thus  testifying,  in  the  strongest 
manner  in  their  power,  their  reverence  for  the  cha- 
racter of  one  of  the  few  white  men  who  have  treated 
their  race  with  humanity. 

It  was  not  an  exhibition  got  up  for  effect ;  it  was 
the  spontaneous  result  of  feeling — of  a  deeply  im- 
planted feeling,  which  neither  time  nor  distance  had 
been  able  to  destroy.  It  had  descended  from  father 
to  son ;  it  had  been  cherished  in  the  Western  wilds ; 
and  it  broke  forth  in  the  midst  of  civilized  society, 
and  was  evinced  by  the  strongest  of  natural  signs — 
reverence  on  the  knee  ! 


Indians  before  the  Statue  of  Penn. 


TREEING  A   BEAR. 


137 


BLACK    BEAB. 


The  Indians  consider  the  black  bear  as  the  most 
valuable  of  wild  animals,  and  the  chase  of  it  as  their 
noblest  field-sport,  its  death  being  always  followed  by 
expressions  of  the  greatest  exultation.  It  is,  indeed, 
highly  useful  to  them;  and,  like  the  ox  and  the 
sheep,  there  is  no  part  of  it  which  is  not  applied  to 
some  useful  purpose.  The  flesh  is  highly  esteemed, 
and  the  paws  are  reckoned  the  richest  honne  houche 
that  the  wild  forests  of  America  afford.  The  skin 
furnishes  their  softest  couch,  and  their  most  sub* 
stantial  protection  against  the  severities  of  winter. 
Even  the  claws  have  their  value  :  they  are  bored  and 
strung  upon  the  tendons  of  deer,  to  be  worn  as  neck- 
laces and  other  ornaments. 

In  the  vicinity  of  Hudson's  Bay,  the  black  bear 


18 


m2 


138  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

has  been  observed  in  the  month  of  June  to  feed  en- 
tirely on  water-insects,  when  the  berries  are  not  ripe. 
These  insects,  of  different  species,  are  found  in  im- 
mense quantities  in  some  of  the  lakes,  where  they 
are  driven  by  gales  of  wind  in  the  Bay,  and,  being 
pressed  together  in  vast  multitudes,  they  die.  The 
odour  which  arises  from  this  vast  mass  of  putrefac- 
tion is  intolerable.  In  some  places  they  lie  two  or 
three  feet  deep.  The  manner  in  which  the  bears 
catch  those  insects,  is  by  swimming  with  their  mouths 
open,  and  thus  they  gather  the  insects  on  the  surface 
of  the  water.  When  the  stomach  of  the  animal  is 
opened  at  this  season,  it  is  found  to  be  filled  with 
them,  and  emits  a  disagreeable  odour.  The  Indians, 
navigating  the  lakes  in  their  light  canoes,  sometimes 
surprise  a  bear  engaged  in  swimming  after  the  insects. 
Then  commences  a  highly  interesting  chase.  The 
bear,  finding  himself  assailed  by  the  paddles  of  the 
Indians,  makes  for  the  shore,  or  for  the  nearest  tree 
standing  in  the  water.  When  fairly  "treed,"  he  is 
easily  despatched  by  the  arrows  or  rifle  balls  of  his 
indefatigable  enemies. 

The  black  bear  is  very  indiscriminate  in  his  feed- 
ing, and,  though  suited  by  nature  for  the  almost  ex- 
clusive consumption  of  vegetable  food,  yet,  when 
pressed  by  hunger,  he  scarcely  refuses  any  thing. 
Not  only  grapes,  berries,  green  corn,  and  vegetables, 
but  worms,  slugs,  turtles'  eggs,  small  quadril^ds,  and 
even  carrion,  form  a  part  of  his  diet,  as  circumstances 
vary.  /^  . 


INSURRECTION  OF  THE  PUEBLOS.       141 


Ingunettfon  of  l|e  ^M^i^Iois  in  I^^Ijj  Mexico* 

New  Mexico  is  one  of  the  oldest  settlements  in 
America.  The  popular  account,  however,  of  its  being 
founded  by  a  party  from  the  army  of  Cortez,  seems 
to  be  incorrect;  since  as  late  as  1595,  the  govern- 
ment of  Mexico  was  petitioned  by  Don  Juan  de  Onate 
of  Zacatecas,  for  permission  to  establish  a  colony  in 
that  region,  already  known  as  New  Mexico.  The 
petition  was  granted,  and  Onate  entered  the  region 
near  the  Kio  del  Norte,  with  two  hundred  soldiers, 
and  suflScient  provisions,  implements,  and  animals  to 
support  his  colony  for  a  year.  He  was  honoured  by 
the  king  with  the  hereditary  title  of  marquis,  the 
offices  of  governor  and  captain  general,  a  loan  of 
twenty  thousand  dollars,  privilege  of  working  the 
mines  exempt  from  taxation,  and  absolute  power 
over  the  Indians.  Under  such  extensive  privileges 
New  Mexico  advanced  rapidly  in  wealth  and  import- 
ance ;  the  Indians  were  christianized  or  put  to  death ; 
many  valuable  mines  were  discovered,  and  the  Spanish 
colonists  conducted  themselves  with  that  recklessness 
of  human  life,  that  avarice  for  gain,  and  that  open 
violation  of  justice  to  the  Indians,  which  had  dis- 
graced their  conquests  in  the  southern  provinces. 

For  nearly  a  century  the  Indians  bore  oppression 
without  resistance.  Their  lands  were  taken  from 
them,  their  religion  insulted,  they  were  dragged  to 
the  mines  and  forced  to  labour  like  horses  under  the 
lash,  they  were  sold  by  trgops  of  scores  and  hundreds 


142  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

into  the  country  of  the  plague  and  the  vomito ;  and 
yet  they  offered  only  submission,  and  kissed  the  hand 
which  was  lacerating  them  with  stripes.  But  a  day 
of  reckoning  was  coming.  About  the  year  1680,  a 
great  warrior  from  a  distant  tribe  appeared  among 
the  Puehlos  or  christianized  Indians  of  New  Mexico. 
His  eye  burned  with  indignation  as  he  looked  upon 
the  oppressions  of  his  countrymen,  and  with  a  spirit 
worthy  of  Montezuma,  whose  descendant  he  professed 
to  be,  he  contrived  a  plan  to  emancipate  them.  Pass- 
ing from  tribe  to  tribe,  he  exhorted  the  chiefs  of  each 
to  unite  together ;  to  appoint  a  day  in  which  to  rise 
upon  their  oppressors,  and  then  to  massacre  every 
white  inhabitant.  The  13th  of  August,  1680,  was 
determined  upon ;  and  so  wily  was  the  intrepid  chief- 
tain that  he  did  not  permit  a  single  woman  to  be  let 
into  the  secret.  But  his  designs  were  in  a  great 
measure  frustrated  by  the  treachery  of  two  chiefs, 
who  revealed  the  plot  to  the  governor. 

On  the  appointed  day,  the  work  of  death  began. 
Servants  rose  against  their  masters,  the  slave  dashed 
his  load  to  the  ground  and  burst  furious  from  the 
mines,  churches  were  broken  into,  priests  and  nuns 
were  murdered  at  the  altar,  men,  women,  and  chil- 
dren were  involved  in  one  slaughter.  Governor 
Otermin  had  hastily  exhorted  the  inhabitants  to  join 
him  at  Isleta ;  they  were  met  on  the  road  and  massa- 
cred. The  affrighted  remnant  gathered  within  the 
fortification  of  Santa  Fe  and  other  cities.  Five  hun- 
dred Pueblos  besieged  the  capital.  They  encamped  in 
the  deserted  suburbs,  and  offered  the  citizens  the  al- 


INSURRECTION  OF  THE  PUEBLOS.       143 

temative  of  massacre  or  an  immediate  evacuation  of 
the  province.  The  governor  offered  full  pardon  for 
all  crimes  if  they  would  return  to  duty ;  they  laughed 
at  the  proposal  and  began  the  siege.  A  great  battle 
was  soon  fought,  which  lasted  all  day,  with  heavy 
loss  to  both  sides.  That  night  the  surrounding  hills 
were  covered  by  Indian  hosts,  hastening  to  assist 
their  comrades.  The  dismayed  Spaniards  again  took 
refuge  behind  their  works;  another  siege  of  nine 
days  ensued ;  the  water  was  turned  from  its  course, 
and  their  animals  fell  dead  one  after  another  with 
thirst.  In  this  extremity  Otermin  made  a  vigorous 
sally,  drove  back  a  portion  of  the  besiegers,  and  secured 
provisions  and  water.  But  the  relief  was  only  tem- 
porary ;  the  Indians  continued  to  increase,  and  at  last 
the  governor  resolved  upon  evacuating  the  city.  On 
the  21st  of  August,  the  little  garrison  set  out  on  foot, 
loaded  with  heavy  burdens  and  encumbered  with  a 
number  of  wounded  on  mules.  They  were  not  pur- 
sued, but  as  all  provisions  had  been  removed,  they 
were  in  a  short  time  reduced  almost  to  starvation. 
After  a  few  days,  Otermin  halted  and  sent  for  assist- 
ance to  the  lieutenant-governor.  Some  carts  and  a 
supply  of  provisions  were  received,  and  the  party 
again  proceeded  until  it  arrived  at  Paso  del  Norte. 
Here  they  founded  the  town  which  goes  by  that 
name. 

In  the  following  year,  Otermin  was  superseded  by 
Don  Diego  Zapata.  The  Indians  held  possession  of 
the  country,  and  this  officer  commenced  the  work  of 
its  reconquest.     It  was  a  work  of  difficulty,  and  lasted 


144  THRILLING   ADVENTURES.  -,  ' 

ten  years.  A  Pueblo  village  named  Zia  maintained 
a  most  obstinate  siege  against  a  force  under  Don  Pedro 
Cruzate,  in  1688.  It  was  at  length  taken  by  assault. 
Six  hundred  Indians  were  massacred,  and  a  great 
number  captured  for  the  mines.  Among  these  was 
a  great  warrior  named  Ojeda.  He  had  fought  nobly 
for  his  liberty,  and  when  taken  was  examined  respect- 
ing the  insurrection.  He  spoke  Spanish  well,  and  gave 
long  details  of  the  revenge  which  his  countrymen  had 
taken.  The  priests  had  been  the  especial  object  of 
their  fury.  The  padre  of  Zia  had  been  dragged  from 
his  bed,  stripped,  mounted  upon  a  hog,  and  whipped 
through  the  village.  He  was  then  placed  upon  all- 
fours,  some  of  the  tormenters  mounted  his  back  by 
turns,  while  the  others  beat  him  until  he  fell  dead 
under  their  blows. 

The  second  subjugation  of  these  Indians  was  has- 
tened by  their  own  internal  feuds,  by  which  whole 
villages  were  sometimes  utterly  destroyed.  In  1700 
all  resistance  had  been  crushed,  and  the  Indians  were 
again  subject  to  their  invaders,  although  their  condi- 
tion was  much  ameliorated. 


Capture  of  Ojeda. 
19  K 


SINGULAR   FREAK    OF    A    CREEK    INDIAN. 


147 


It  is  not  often  that  an  Indian  can  be  induced  to 
leave  his  tribe  or  his  country ;  much  less  will  he  join 
the  society  of  white  men,  and  adopt  its  modes  and 
observances.  This  ardent  patriotism  and  jealousy 
of  national  dignity  appear  to  be  common  to  all  sa- 
vage tribes ;  and,  though  it  may  appear  singular,  yet 
well-attested  facts  sustain  the  assertion,  that  it  is 
harder  to  wean  a  Laplander,  a  Tartar,  or  an  Indian 
from  the  snowy  sides  of  Hecla,  or  the  boundless  prai- 
ries of  Oregon,  than  to  induce  a  European  to  turn 
hunter.  Of  all  the  instances  on  record,  in  which  In- 
dians have  been  partially  civilized,  leaving  out  of 
view  the  influence  of  religion,  few  were  without  a  long- 
ing to  return  to  the  old  mode  of  life ;  but,  on  the 


148  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

other  hand,  the  white  captive,  who  has  long  resided 
with  Indians,  often  rejects  every  overture  of  friends 
and  relatives  to  win  him  back.  The  following  is  an 
instance  where  an  Indian  seems  to  have  become  dis- 
gusted with  his  condition,  and  sought  amelioration  by 
uniting  himself  with  white  men. 

In  1831,  a  party  of  American  traders  approached 
a  village  of  Creek  warriors,  on  the  north  branch  of 
the  Canadian.  Soon  after  they  had  encamped,  they 
were  joined  by  one  of  the  Indians,  who,  by  signs,  sig- 
nified his  willingness  to  join  them.  The  traders  were 
suspicious  of  his  intentions ;  but,  as  he  assured  them 
that  he  would  be  one  of  their  party,  and  had  resolved 
not  to  return  to  the  village,  they  received  him.  Next 
morning  some  little  light  was  thrown  upon  the  myste- 
rious affair.  He  had  quarrelled  with  his  wife  ;  and  she 
now  entered  the  traders'  camp,  wailing  and  howling, 
denouncing  her  own  wicked  conduct  and  imploring  the 
forgiveness  of  her  injured  lord.  His  heart  did  not 
relent ;  a  brief  deluge  of  tears  could  not  drown  the 
world  of  insults,  quarrels,  and  bickerings  which  had 
for  years  degraded  his  character,  and»broken  with  too 
rude  a  spell  his  early  dreams  of  romance.  His  dis- 
consolate partner  returned  to  her  home,  and  the  In- 
dian set  out  with  the  traders.  He  proved  a  faithful 
and  valuable  companion,  and  soon  became"  a  favourite 
with  the  Americans.  On  reaching  Santa  Fe,  he 
joined  a  company  of  volunteers  under  Mr.  James 
p  Kirker,  and  assisted  more  than  once  in  skirmishes 
0  with  the  Shawnee  and  Delaware  Indians.  He  was 
ever  a  firm  friend  to  the  white  men,  and  in  his  habits 
and  feelings  virtually  civilized. 


WHITE   CAPTIVES   AMONG  THE    INDIANS. 


149 


The  practice  among  the  Indians  of  naturalizing 
captives,  whether  men  or  women,  exists  to  an  extent 
greater  than  is  generally  supposed,  and  in  these  in- 
stances the  female  captive  is  invariably  obliged  to  be- 
come the  wife  of  a  brave.  The  feelings  of  a  virtu- 
ous wife,  or  of  a  mother,  when  subjected  to  this  law, 
inay  be  imagined;  but,  when  she  has  once  become 
incorporated  into  the  tribe,  we  cannot  wonder  at  her 
unwillingness  to  return  to  civilized  life. 

In  1805,  the  account  of  an  instance  of  this  kind 
was  transmitted  to  the  War  Department  by  Dr. 
Sibley.  Twenty  years  before,  the  wild  Camanches 
made  an  irruption  into  the  territory  of  Chihuahua. 
While  every  thing  was  hushed  in  sleep,  they  stole 
upon  the  residence  of  the  governor-general,  and  suc- 
ceeded in  carrying  away  his  daughter.  The  wretched 
father  afterwards,  ascertained  where  she  was  taken 

k2 


150  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

to,  and  to  purchase  her  ransom  transmitted  one  thou- 
sand dollars  to  a  trader,  then  visiting  the  Camanche 
village.  The  chiefs  immediately  signified  their  as- 
sent ;  but  the  unhappy  girl  refused  to  return.  With 
bitter  tears,  she  sent  word  to  her  father  that  her  face 
had  been  tatooed ;  that  she  was  the  wife  of  a  war- 
rior, and  that  she  could  not  meet  the  unfeeling  scorn 
which  the  knowledge  of  these  circumstances  would 
bring  upon  her  should  she  return  to  her  people. 

Numerous  instances  of  a  like  nature  may  be  found 
in  the  narratives  of  the  traders,  trappers,  and  adven- 
turers of  the  west.  In  1832,  a  Santa  Fe  trader 
found  a  boy  of  eleven  or  twelve  years  old  among  a 
party  of  Camanches.  He  was  a  Mexican ;  had  been 
captured  near  Parral,  and  had  remained  a  captive 
four  years.  He  was  sprightly  and  cheerful,  retained 
full  command  of  his  native  language,  and  evinced  no 
desire  to  return.  Of  half  a  dozen  other  captives, 
questioned  by  the  same  trader,  only  one  expressed  a 
willingness  to  return. 


A    OAMAKCHX    VAESIOK. 


NIGHT   ATTACK    BY   THE    PAWNEES. 


151 


The  incident  we  are  about  to  relate  occurred  on  the 
10th  of  March,  1840,  and,  in  the  hands  of  the  ro- 
mancer, might  form  the  ground-work  of  a  thrilling 
narrative.  A  party  of  hunters  had  halted  on  a  wide 
prairie,  having  before  them  a  deep  ravine,  which,  as 
they  supposed,  would  protect  them  from  assault  in 
that  quarter.  The  night  was  cold,  dark,  and  damp ; 
but  a  large  fire  was  soon  built,  round  which  the  sen- 
tinels sat  at  regular  intervals,  beguiling  the  weariness 
by  tales  of  adventures  and  of  home.  This  quiet  re- 
laxation was  interrupted  by  a  sudden  discharge  of 
rifles,  while  a  shower  of  balls  whistled  over  and 
around  the  heads  of  the  sentinels.  This  was  suc- 
ceeded by  the  war-whoop  and  "  Pawnee  whistle,"  a 
circumstance  that  speedily  convinced  the  traders  of 
the  nature  of  so  unexpected  an  attack.  At  the  next 
moment,  each  man  was  upon  his  feet  and  levelling 
his  rifle ;  but  hostilities  were  for  a  while  suspended  by 
a  rather  ridiculous  incident.  Among  the  traders  was 
a  friendly  Camanche  j  he  seemed  deeply  impressed 


•'fi 


152  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

with  an  idea  that  the  assailants  were  of  his  own  na- 
tion ;  and,  anxious  for  the  common  good,  besides  in- 
spired with  a  deep  conviction  of  his  own  oratorical 
talents,  resolved  to  set  things  right.  He  mounted  a 
suitable  position,  and  commenced  a  boisterous  speech 
in  genuine  Camanche.  This  part  of  that  night's 
scene,  when  both  parties  listened  to  a  discourse  which 
neither  understood,  when  the  orator  grew  in  propor- 
tion as  danger  thickened  around  him,  and  when  hun- 
dreds of  grinning  savages  were  prevented  from  rid- 
dling him  at  once  only  because  they  did  not  under- 
stand what  he  was  about,  formed  one  of  the  few 
incidents  in  war  which  are  not  not  serious.  The  con- 
clusion of  his  talk  was  still  more  ridiculous.  By 
some  unmistakeable  signs,  the  orator  ascertained  that 
the  congregation  for  which  he  was  labouring  was  not 
Camanche,  and,  indignant  that  talent  should  have 
been  wasted  in  vain,  he  suddenly  seized  his  rifle  and 
blazed  away.  This  was  the  signal  of  battle.  The 
Indians  had  stationed  themselves  in  great  numbers 
within  the  ravine,  from  which  they  poured  forth  a 
continuous  shower  of  balls.  The  traders  took  refuge 
behind  their  wagons;  but  the  darkness  preventing 
them  from  distinguishing  their  foe,  they  were  obliged 
to  aim  by  the  flash  of  their  guns  or  to  fire  at  random. 
The  Indians  kept  up  a  continual  shouting,  in  order  to 
stampede  the  animals ;  but  in  this  they  failed.  Mean- 
while the  traders  used  every  exertion  to  maintain 
their  position  behind  the  wagons,  and  to  preserve  the 
lives  of  their  animals.  In  this  latter  service  some 
daring  feats  were  performed.     A  Mexican  named 


NIGHT   ATTACK   BY   THE    PAWNEES.  153 

Antonio  Chaves,  rushed  outside  of  the  enclosure, 
seized  a  valuable  horse  which  was  there  tied,  and 
brought  him  into  camp  amid  a  shower  of  balls.  The 
attack  lasted  nearly  three  hours;  but  the  Indians 
had  fortunately  aimed  too  high,  so  that  only  two 
white  men  were  wounded.  One  horse  escaped,  and 
a  mule  was  badly  shot.  Before  daylight  the  Indians 
retired ;  and,  at  the  same  time,  a  heavy  fall  of  snow 
concealed  their  track,  and  prevented  the  traders  from 
ascertaining  the  result  of  their  defence. 

The  Pawnee  Indians  seem  to  possess  an  inveterate 
hatred  of  the  Americans.  In  October,  1847^  a  party 
of  them  attacked  an  American  train  under  Mr. 
Wetherill.  With  nineteen  men  he  was  crossing  the 
Arkansas  river  at  night.  A  skirmish  took  place,  in 
which  the  Pawnees  were  driven  off  with  some  loss. 
On  the  following  night,  the  attack  was  renewed. 
One  American  was  wounded  in  the  arm ;  another  in 
the  leg.  A  heavy  and  well-directed  fire  again  drove 
the  Indians  away. 


154 


THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 


LIEUTENANT    CAESON. 


Christopher  Carson,  "Kit  Carson"  as  he  is  fa- 
miliarly called,  is  one  of  the  most  remarkable  cha- 
racters which  the  recent  war  with  Mexico  rendered 
conspicuous  in  the  United  States.  At  the  age  of 
fifteen  he  became  a  trader,  and  from  that  time  until 
the  present,  he  has  passed  his  life  in  a  continued  series 
of  wild,  hazardous,  and  daring  adventures.  As  a 
trapper,  he  is  unrivalled  in  skill  and  success ;  and  in 
his  numerous  conflicts  with  the  Indians,  he  acquired 
a  name  which  was  the  terror  of  every  hostile  red 
man,  and  the  envy  of  every  hunter.     His  shot  rarely 


Carson's  adventures.  155 

failed ;  and  through  the  wilds  of  a  Missourian  wilder- 
ness, none  could  guide  a  party  of  traders  as  he  could. 
On  account  of  his  sagacity  and  steadiness  under  all 
circumstances,  he  was  chosen  to  lead  in  almost  all 
enterprises  of  unusual  danger,  and  in  all  attacks  on 
the  Indians.  On  one  occasion  he  tracked  sixty  Crows 
with  only  twelve  men,  cut  loose  the  horses  which 
they  had  taken  from  the  white  people,  and  which  had 
been  tied  within  ten  feet  of  the  log  fort  where  the 
Indians  had  taken  shelter,  and  made  good  his  retreat. 
One  of  his  narrowest  escapes  occurred  during  the 
night  attack  of  the  Tlamuth  Indians,  upon  a  small 
party  of  Americans  under  Colonel  Fremont,  who  had 
lately  arrived  on  an  exploring  expedition  in  New 
Mexico.  This  was  in  May,  1846.  The  account  of 
this  night  attack  cannot  be  given  more  forcibly  than 
in  Carson's  own  words  : — 

"  Mr.  Gillespie  had  brought  the  colonel  letters  from 
home — the  first  he  had  had  since  leaving  the  States 
the  year  before — and  he  was  up,  and  kept  a  large  fire 
burning  until  after  midnight;  the  rest  of  us  were 
tired  out,  and  all  went  to  sleep.  This  was  the  only 
night  in  all  our  travels,  except  the  one  night  on  the 
island  in  the  Salt  Lake,  that  we  failed  to  keep  guard ; 
and  as  the  men  were  so  tired,  and  we  expected  no 
attack,  now  that  we  had  sixteen  in  party,  the  colonel 
didn't  like  to  ask  it  of  them,  but  sat  up  late  himself. 
Owens  and  I  were  sleeping  together,  and  we  were 
waked  at  the  same  time  by  the  licks  of  the  axe  that 
killed  our  men.  At  first  I  didn't  know  it  was  that ; 
but  I  called  to  Basil,  who  was  at  that  side,  ^  What's  the 


156  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

matter  there? — ^what's  tliat  fuss  about?'  He  never 
answered,  for  he  was  dead  then,  poor  fellow ;  and  he 
never  knew  what  killed  him — his  head  had  been  cut 
in,  in  his  sleep ;  the  other  groaned  a  little  as  he  died. 
The  Delawares  (we  had  four  with  us)  were  sleeping 
at  that  fire,  and  they  sprang  up  as  the  Tlamaths 
charged  them.  One  of  them  caught  up  a  gun,  which 
was  unloaded ;  but,  although  he  could  do  no  execu- 
tion, he  kept  them  at  bay,  fighting  like  a  soldier,  and 
didn't  give  up  until  he  was  shot  full  of  arrows — three 
entering  his  heart :  he  died  bravely.  As  soon  as  I 
called  out,  I  saw  it  was  Indians  in  the  camp,  and  I 
and  Owens  together  cried  out '  Indians.'  There  were 
no  orders  given;  things  went  on  too  fast,  and  the 
colonel  had  men  with  him  that  didn't  need  to  be  told 
their  duty.  The  colonel  and  I,  Maxwell,  Owens, 
Godey,  and  Stepp,  jumped  together,  we  six,  and  ran 
to  the  assistance  of  our  Delawares.  I  don't  know 
who  fired  and  who  didn't ;  but  I  think  it  was  Stepp's 
shot  that  killed  the  Tlamath  chief;  for  it  was  at  the 
crack  of  Stepp's  gun  that  he  fell.  He  had  an  English 
half-axe  slung  to  his  wrist  by  a  cord,  and  there  were 
forty  arrows  left  in  his  quiver — the  most  beautiful 
and  warlike  arrows  I  ever  saw.  He  must  have  been 
the  bravest  man  among  them,  from  the  way  he  was 
armed,  and  judging  by  his  cap.  When  the  Tlamaths 
saw  him  fall,  they  ran ;  but  we  lay,  every  man  with 
his  rifle  cocked,  until  daylight,  expecting  another 
attack. 

"  In  the  morning,  we  found,  by  the  tracks,  that 
from  fifteen  to  twenty  of  the  Tlamaths  had  attacked 


Carson's  adventures.  157 

us.  They  had  killed  three  of  our  men,  and  wounded 
one  of  the  Delawares,  who  scalped  the  chief,  whom 
we  left  where  he  fell.  Our  dead  men  we  carried  on 
mules ;  but,  after  going  about  ten  miles,  we  found  it 
impossible  to  get  them  any  farther  through  the  thick 
timber ;  and,  finding  a  secret  place,  we  buried  them 
under  logs  and  chunks,  having  no  way  to  dig  a  grave. 
It  was  only  a  few  days  before  this  fight  that  some  of 
these  same  Indians  had  come  into  our  camp ;  and,  al- 
though we  had  only  meat  for  two  days,  and  felt  sure 
that  we  would  have  to  eat  mules  for  ten  or  fifteen 
days  to  come,  the  colonel  divided  with  them,  and 
even  had  a  mule  unpacked  to  give  them  some  tobacco 
and  knives." 

Two  days  after  this  battle,  Fremont's  party  came 
suddenly  upon  a  large  village  of  Tlamaths,  contain- 
ing more  than  a  hundred  warriors.  Carson  was  in 
advance  with  ten  men.  The  Indians  made  a  show 
of  resistance ;  when  he  fearlessly  charged  them,  kill- 
ing some  of  the  warriors  and  burning  their  village 
and  fishing  boats.  "  The  women  and  children,"  ob- 
serves Carson,  "  we  did  not  interfere  with."  A  second 
battle  was  fought  on  the  same  day,  during  which  a 
chief  advanced  upon  Carson  with  a  bow  and  arrows. 
Carson  levelled  his  rifle,  but  it  missed,  and  the  next 
moment  the  arrow  would  have  pierced  his  breast  had 
not  Fremont,  observing  the  danger,  drove  his  war 
horse  against  the  Indian  and  knocked  him  down. 
"The  colonel  and  Sacramento  saved  me,"  observed 
Carson  with  some  humour.  Sacramento  was  the  name 

of  Fremont's  horse. 

o 


168  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

The  following  notice  of  Carson  occurs  in  Mr.  Bux- 
ton's "  Life  in  the  West,"  just  reprinted  from  the  Lon- 
don edition  by  Messrs.  Harper  &  Brothers  of  New 
York. 

*^  Kit  Carson,  paragon  of  mountaineers  !*  small  in 
stature,  and  slenderly  limbed,  but  with  muscles  of 
wire,  with  a  fair  complexion,  and  quiet,  intelligent 
features.  To  look  at  Kit  none  would  suppose  that  the 
mild  looking  being  before  him  was  an  incarnate  devil 
in  the  Indian  fight,  and  had  raised  more  hairf  from 
heads  of  redskins  than  any  two  men  in  the  western 
country ;  and  yet  thirty  winters  had  scarcely  planted 
a  line  or  furrow  on  his  clean-shaven  face.  No  name, 
however,  was  better  known  in  the  mountains,  from 
Yellow  Stone  to  Spanish  Peaks,  from  Missouri  to 
Columbia  Kiver;  than  that  of  Kit  Carson,  ^raised'  in 
Boonlick  county  of  Missouri  state,  and  a  credit  to  the 
diggins  that  gave  him  birth." 

*  Since  the  time  of  which  we  speak,  Kit  Carson  has  distinguished 
himself  in  guiding  the  several  United  States  exploring  expeditions 
under  Fremont,  across  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  to  all  parts  of 
Oregon  and  California;  and  for  his  services,  the  President  of  the 
United  States  presented  the  gallant  mountaineer  with  the  commission 
of  lieutenant  in  a  newly  raised  regiment  of  mounted  riflemen,  of 
which  his  old  leader,  Fremont  is  appointed  colonel. 

f"To  raise  hair/'  is  the  expression  used  by  the  trappers  and 
hunters  in  the  western  country  for  scalping. 


BATTLES  OF  AMERICANS  WITH  INDIANS. 


159 


On  the  29th  of  May,  1847,  Major  Edmonson,  with 
one  hundred  and  seventy-five  men,  was  attacked  by 
four  hundred  Mexicans  and  Apache  Indians,  at  the 
Red  River  canon.  The  Americans  laboured  under 
much  disadvantage,  having  dismounted  for  the  pur- 
pose of  crossing  a  deep  miry  morass,  in  which  the 
horses  sunk  to  the  middle.  In  this  situation  they 
fought  a  host  of  savages  for  two  hours,  dealing  de- 
struction through  their  ranks,  and  endeavouring  to 


160  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

bring  their  horses  together  for  a  charge.  In  the  lat- 
ter they  failed,  and,  in  order  to  prevent  an  entire 
slaughter  of  the  animals,  the  major  ordered  a  retreat. 
Meanwhile  Lieutenant  Elliott,  with  twenty-seven 
rangers,  posted  himself  in  full  view  of  the  Indians, 
and  by  daring  manoeuvering,  united  with  great 
bravery,  succeeded  in  covering  .the  retreat  of  the 
main  party.     The  horses  were  all  shot  or  captured. 

A  still  more  severe  battle  was  fought  by  Lieutenant 
Love,  with  a  large  party  of  Mexicans  and  Camanches 
near  the  Pawnee  Fork.  The  particulars  of  this 
affair  are  so  well  described  by  an  officer  who  shared 
its  dangers,  that  we  give  them  in  his  own  words. 
The  battle  occurred  June  26th,  1847. 

On  the  23d,  we  arrived  at  the  Pawnee  Fork,  and 
there  met  two  government  trains  of  provision  wagons 
destined  for  Santa  Fe,  and  learned  from  them  that 
the  day  previous  the  Indians  charged  on  them  as 
their  cattle  were  grazing,  wounding  three  men — 
one  severely — and  driving  off  from  traders  and  a 
return  train  of  government  wagons  under  Mr.  Bell, 
some  seventy  yoke  of  oxen,  leaving  twenty  wagons 
and  a  considerable  quantity  of  provisions  and  other 
property  without  the  means  of  transportation.  The 
wagons  and  property  were  burned  to  prevent  their 
falling  into  the  hands  of  the  Indians.  Next  day, 
(the  24th,)  we  travelled  up  to  the  Fork  and  en- 
camped, and  on  the  25th  to  this  place,  on  which  day 
I  was  in  charge  of  the  guard,  and  the  night  passed 
over  without  any  alarm,  although  every  vigiknce  and 
precaution  was  used.    Next  morning,  the  26th,  im- 


BATTLES    OF    AMERICANS   WITH    INDIANS.        161 

mediately  after  reveilM,  Hayden's  train,  which  was 
encamped  about  five  hundred  yards  due  west  from 
the  guard-tent,  drove  their  oxen  from  the  corell  to 
graze.  All  were  scarcely  out,  when  a  large  band  of 
Camanches  and  Mexicans  emerged  from  a  ravine 
called  Coon  creek,  about  two  hundred  yards  west, 
and  charged  furiously  on  the  teamsters  and  herdsmen, 
wounding  three  and  driving  off  one  hundred  and 
thirty  yoke  of  government  oxen,  and  thirty,  yoke 
belonging  to  a  trader  who  was  accompanying  them. 
One  conspicuous  Indian  rode  within  carbine  range.  I 
fired  and  killed  the  horse  from  under  him,  and,  as  far 
as  could  be  ascertained,  wounded  himself;  however, 
he  was  soon  behind  another  Indian.  In  the  mean 
time  the  camp  was  armed,  and  some  eighteen  or  nine- 
teen mounted  dragoons  were  ordered  out  under  my 
command,  for  the  purpose  of  retaking  the  cattle. 
When  my  command  reached  within  one  hundred  and 
fifty  yards  of  the  enemy,  I  halted,  and  formed  in  ex- 
tended line,  expecting  to  rally  on  a  body  of  teamsters 
who  were  out  as  footmen ;  then  charged  on  the  In- 
dians, and  forced  them  to  retreat.  As  they  were  re- 
treating, a  large  body  of  well-mounted  Indians  crossed 
the  river  between  me  and  the  camp  on  my  left,  and 
charged  us  in  the  rear  with  great  fury,  preventing  us 
from  rallying,  and  obliging  us  to  cut  our  way  through 
them.  About  this  time  I  was  shot,  and  charged  on 
by  several  Indians.  I  made  my  sabre,  however, 
drink  blood,  having  killed  one  and  wounded  another. 
Every  man  in  my  little  command  fought  bravely  and 
manfully,  and  five  of  my  poor  fellows  were  kill^j, 

21  o2 


162  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

defending  themselves  to  the  last,  and  selling  their 
lives  at  a  dear  rate,  and  six  wounded — three  more 
besides  myself  severely  wounded.  The  killed  were 
Arlidge,  Deckhart,  Short,  Gaskill,  and  Blake.  The 
wounded,  myself,  Yancaster,  Lovelace,  and  Ward, 
severely,  and  Burk  and  Wilson  slightly.  The  severe 
loss  we  met  with  I  attribute  to  the  almost  unma- 
nageable state  of  the  horses,  all  being  new  in  the 
service,  and  to  the  Indians  being  permitted  to  charge 
on  us  from  behind.  The  enemy  took  off  the  cattle, 
scalped  three  men,  and  took  off  the  horses,  equipments, 
arms  and  ammunition,  and  the  clothes  of  the  dead. 
The  Indians,  when  in  a  body,  numbered  about  five 
hundred.  I  make  no  comments,  I  merely  give  you 
the  facts  as  they  occurred  before  me.  The  Indians 
were  all  armed  with  lances  measuring  from  twelve  to 
fifteen  feet  in  length,  bows  and  arrows,  and  a  great 
many  with  rifles  and  muskets.  There  were  some 
white  men  among  them.  Several  of  our  men  saw 
them  as  well  as  myself  The  air  was  actually  as 
dark  as  if  a  flight  of  birds  were  hovering  over  us, 
from  the  balls,  lances,  and  arrows  that  were  flying 
through  the  air.  Twelve  or  fifteen  of  the  enemy  are 
known  to  have  fallen — perhaps  more — but  were  im- 
mediately carried  off.  Four  of  their  horses  were  left 
dead  on  the  ground.  Since  then,  we  remain  here, 
merely  changing  positions  for  the  purpose  of  pastime. 
To-morrow,  I  understand,  we  will  proceed  again  on 
our  route,  arrangements  being  made  to  take  all  the 
trains  along,  with  somewhat  less  team,  however. 
The  Indians  have  attacked  every  train  that  has  gone 


BATTLE  OF  AMERICANS  WITH  INDIANS.  163 

out  or  come  in  this  year,  and  are  bound  to  attack 
every  train  that  will  follow.  These  Camanches,  Paw- 
nees, and  Arrapahoes  deserve  a  castigation  that  would 
ever  after  keep  them  quiet,  and  which  they  are  sure 
some  day  to  receive. 

Lieutenant  Love  was  in  a  most  distressing  situa- 
tion. Never  has  man  suffered,  I  believe,  more  in  one 
day  than  he  suffered.  Here  were  twelve  wagons, 
with  six  mules  to  each — provisions,  and  all  the  specie, 
that  he  could  not  by  any  possible  means  abandon,  as 
another  large  force  were  ready  to  attack  the  camp  if 
he  were  to  go  out  with  a  large  force ;  and  yet  he  saw 
the  awful  situation  in  which  we  were  placed,  and 
could  not  give  us  the  slightest  aid  or  assistance.  I 
am  convinced  that  he  acted  prudently  and  wisely ; 
for  it  has  been  his  special  care  to  take  all  the  precau- 
tions that  an  experienced  ofl&cer  could  take  to  save 
his  men  and  animals  ever  since  he  commenced  his 
march." 

Such  was  the  character  of  the  Indian  aggression 
on  the  route  to  New  Mexico.  The  violence  was, 
however,  confined  to  the  Camanches,  and  to  a  small 
portion  of  the  Arrapahoes,  and  the  band  of  Pawnees 
south  of  the  Platte.  This  violence  the  United  States 
government  took  effectual  measures  to  quell,  by  plac- 
ing a  competent  force  under  command  of  Colonel 
Gilpin,  who  had  signally  distinguished  himself  with 
Doniphan,  in  Chihuahua. 


164  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 


MUsn  ©smelts  to  a  ^nsJoncr. 


On  the  18th  of  March,  1690,  the  town  of  Berwick, 
in  Maine,  was  attacked  by  a  body  of  French  and  In- 
dians, under  command  of  Hertel  de  Kouville  and 
Whoop  Hood,  a  sachem.  After  killing  about  thirty 
of  the  inhabitants  and  capturing  fifty  oifchers,  they 
hastily  retreated,  and,  though  pursued  by  a  body  of 
Englishmen,  succeeded  in  escaping.  One  of  their 
prisoners,  named  Eogers,  was  unable  to  keep  pace 
with  his  captors ;  while  lagging  behind,  loaded  with 
a  heavy  pack,  he  threw  it  down  and  attempted  to 
escape.  After  running  some  distance,  he  hid  in  a 
hollow  tree ;  but  hither  he  was  traced  and  discovered. 
After  being  stripped  and  beaten,  he  was  pushed  for- 
ward on  his  journey  until  evening.  They  then  halted 
and  encamped,  and,  while  preparing  a  feast,  tied  the 
prisoner's  hands  behind  his  back,  fastened  him  to  a 
stump,  and  began  dancing  and  shouting  around  him. 
They  then  made  a  great  fire  near  the  unfortunate 
man,  and,  with  savage  malignity,  bade  him  take  leave 
of  his  friends,  giving  him  at  the  same  time  a  few  mo- 
ments to  prat/.  They  then  moved  the  fire  gradually 
forward,  roasting  him  by  degrees ;  when  the  agony 
of  the  sufferer  had  almost  exhausted  him,  they  with- 
drew the  coals ;  thus  increasing  his  misery,  both  by 
its  length  and  by  the  alternations  of  torture.  At  in- 
tervals they  cut  slices  of  flesh  from  his  perishing 
frame,  laughed  at  his  agonies,  and  answered  his 
groans   by  insults  and  mockery.      Meanwhile   the 


0) 

o 
P5 


^ 


>-l 

CQ 


INDIAN   CRUELTY   TO    A    PRISONER. 


167 


other  captives  were  placed  outside  the  fire  that  they 
might  behold  their  companion's  death.  When  the 
wretched  man  had  expired,  they  seated  his  body  on 
the  coals,  that  at  some  future  time  his  friends  might 
be  tortured  by  the  sight. 


A    tAIOO£D    IITDIAir. 


168 


THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 


MAXOAN  M£DICIN£  LODGK. 

The  Indians  are  capable  of  the  most  extraordinary 
acts  of  self-sacrifice,  under  the  influence  of  supersti- 
tion or  of  patriotism.  Mr.  Catlin,  in  his  interesting 
account  of  the  Indians,  has  given  us  a  narrative  of  the 
strange  religious  ceremonies  of  the  Mandans  in  their 
Medicine  Lodge,  where  they  spent  four  days  in  a 
series  of  self-tortures  and  mutilations  too  horrible  for 
us  to  relate,  all  of  which  was  done  from  a  principle  of 
obedience  to  their  peculiar  superstitious  notions. 

The  other  tribes  exhibit  instances  not  less  remark- 
able of  self-sacrifice  from  patriotic  motives. 

Every  Indian  is  proud  of  his  connection  with  his 
tribe,  jealous  of  its  honour,  and  implacable  when  vin 
dicating  it.  A  striking  instance  of  this  occurred  in 
"Warren  county,  Illinois,  which  will  remind  the 
reader  of  an  incident  in  Edward  Third's  siege  of  Ca- 
lais. Four  Indians  of  the  Sac  tribe  had  murdered 
some  white  men,  and  the  War  Department  instructed 


INDIAN   PATRIOTISM. 


169 


the  United  States'  agent  to  demand  the  murderers. 
Keokuck,  the  Indian  chief,  stated  that  they  were  out 
of  his  reach,  but  that  he  would  consult  with  his  tribe 
upon  the  course  to  be  pursued.  On  calling  the  chiefs 
together,  he  stated  the  circumstances,  together  with 
his  apprehensions  that  the  Great  Father  would  send 
an  army  into  the  nation  to  avenge  his  murdered  chil- 
dren. On  hearing  this,  four  young  men  offered  them- 
selves to  be  delivered  to  the  agent  as  the  offenders. 
They  were  taken  by  Keokuck  to  the  agent,  who  im- 
mediately threw  them  into  prison  to  await  their  trial. 
When  the  court  convened,  Keokuck  appeared  as  a 
witness  for  the  prosecution.  He  stated  before  the 
grand  jury,  that  the  prisoners  were  not  the  men  who 
had  committed  the  murder,  they  having  fled  from  the 
tribe ;  but  that  he  supposed  the  court  would  be  satis- 
fied, if  any  four  of  his  young  men  were  delivered  up 
to  justice.  Of  course  the  prisoners  were  immediately 
discharged. 


AN    INDIAN    LODGE, 
P 


170  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 


XISSIO»AET    PKEACHIira    10    XHS    INDIANS. 

Jkhmn  ^mu  of  Pro]pnetg, 

The  Indians  are  remarkable  for  their  sense  of  pro- 
priety. In  a  deliberative  assembly,  tbey  preserve 
the  strictest  decorum.  The  speakers  address  the 
assembly  in  a  certain  order,  according  to  their  rank. 
No  speaker  is  ever  interrupted,  or  coughed  down,  or 
called  to  order,  as  among  civilized  nations.  This  cha- 
racteristic of  the  Indians  has  been  of  great  service  to 
the  whites  in  their  intercourse  with  them.  It  has  ob- 
tained a  patient  hearing  of  our  deputies  in  all  nego- 
tiations and  treaties;  and  it  has  procured  for  the 
numerous  missionaries  who  have  been  sent  among 
them  a  respectful  attention.  This  sense  of  propriety 
in  the  Indians  appears  in  the  following  anecdote. 

History  presents  few  instances  of  greater  valour  and 
magnanimity  than  are  displayed  in  the  character  of 
Opechanchanough,  an  Indian  chief  Bold,  artful,  in- 
sinuating, skilled  in  dissimulation  and  intrigue,  he 
for  many  years  kept  the  settlers  of  Virginia  in  a  state 
of  continual  alarm,  and  more  than  once  menaced 


J 


INDIAN    SENSE    OF   PROPRIETY.  171 

them  with  destruction.  Although  so  decrepit  by  age 
as  to  be  unable  to  walk,  he  commanded  in  person, 
and  directed  from  the  litter  on  which  he  was  borne, 
the  onset  and  retreat  of  his  warriors  in  the  dread- 
ful massacre  of  1641,  which  almost  exterminated  the 
colonists.  The  excessive  fatigues  of  this  campaign 
completed  the  wreck  of  his  constitution.  His  flesh 
wasted  away,  his  sinews  lost  their  elasticity,  and 
his  eyelids  hung  so  far  over  the  balls  as  to  obscure 
their  sight.  In  this  forlorn  condition,  bending  under 
the  weight  of  years,  and  worn  out  by  the  hardships 
of  war,  he  was  surprised,  and  carried  captive  to  James- 
town. After  some  time  he  was  shot  by  one  of  the 
soldiers  appointed  to  guard  him. 

To  the  last  moment  his  courage  remained  un- 
broken. It  supported  him  in  adversity  and  prosperity, 
in  sickness  and  in  death.  Just  before  he  expired  "he 
heard,"  says  the  historian,  "  an  unusual  bustle  in  his 
prison ;  haying  ordered  his  attendant  to  lift  up  his 
eyelids,  he  discovered  a  number  of  persons  crowding 
around  him  to  gratify  an  unseasonable  and  cruel 
curiosity.  The  dying  chief  felt  this  indignity  with 
a  keenness  of  sensibility,  the  more  violent  as  it  was 
new  and  unforeseen.  It  was  a  burst  of  passion,  a 
momentary  ascendancy  of  nature  over  the  habit  of 
education,  and  its  exhibition  and  eJ0fect  must  be  ac- 
knowledged to  correspond  with  the  greatness  of  the 
occasion.  Without  deigning  to  notice  the  intruders, 
he  raised  himself  from  the  earth,  and  with  a  voice 
and  tone  of  authority,  commanded  that  the  governor 
should  be  immediately  called  in.     When  he  made  his 


172  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

appearance,  Opechanchanough  scornfully  told  him, 
"  that  had  it  been  his  fortune  to  take  Sir  William 
Berkely  prisoner,  he  would  not  meanly  have  exposed 
him  as  a  show  to  his  people !" 

What  nobleness  of  spirit !  "^hat  matchless  hero- 
ism !  At  the  age  of  one  hundred  years,  blind,  unable 
to  stand,  wounded  and  captive,  his  courage  was  un- 
subdued. The  prospect  of  power  and  incentive  of 
example  are  the  usual  sources  of  splendid  actions ; 
it  remains  for  the  truly  great  soul  to  preserve  its 
equanimity  in  the  gloom  of  dungeons  and  the  embrace 
of  death. 

The  exploits  of  this  extraordinary  man,  in  the 
vigour  of  life,  are  unknown  to  us.  We  saw  him  only 
for  a  short  time  on  the  edge  of  the  horizon,  but  from 
the  lustre  of  his  departing  beams,  we  may  easily  con- 
ceive what  he  was  in  his  meridian  blaze. 


Pergonal  ?Encountei:  Ht^  t^o  lnUm%* 

In  1779,  a  Mr.  Morgan,  of  Ricket's  Fort,  West 
Virginia,  was  surprised  in  the  woods  by  two  Indians, 
who  immediately  gave  chase.  Being  old  and  some- 
what infirm,  he  faltered  in  the  race,  and  was  obliged 
to  take  refuge  behind  a  tree :  the  Indians  did  the 
same,  but  one  of  them  exposing  his  body,  was  shot 
by  Morgan,  and,  after  falling,  stabbed  himself  Mor- 
gan again  fled ;  but  his  surviving  antagonist  gained 
rapidly  upon  him,  and  at  length  raised  his  gun  to  fire. 


Mr.  Morgan's  Adventure. 


ENCOUNTER   WITH   TWO    INDIANS.  175 

Morgan  adroitly  stepped  aside,  and  the  ball  passed 
him.  Then  each  rushed  to  closer  combat.  Morgan, 
while  striking  with  his  gun,  received  the  Indian's 
tomahawk,  which  cut  off  a  finger,  and  knocked  the 
gun  from  his  grasp.  Being  an  expert  wrestler,  he 
closed,  and  threw  his  antagonist ;  but  he  was  speedily 
overturned,  when  the  Indian,  uttering  the  customary 
yell  of  triumph,  began  feeling  for  his  knife.  Its  hilt 
was  entangled  in  a  woman's  apron,  which  the  savage 
had  tied  round  his  waist ;  and  this  apparently  trivial 
circumstance  saved  the  prostrate  hunter.  During 
the  search,  Morgan  had  seized  his  antagonist's  fingers 
with  his  teeth,  a  position  in  which  he  used  all  becom- 
ing exertions  to  keep  them.  Meanwhile  he  assisted 
in  the  search  for  the  knife.  The  Indian  at  length 
seized  it,  but  so  far  toward  the  blade,  that  Morgan 
caught  hold  of  the  upper  portion  of  the  handle,  and 
drew  it  through  his  adversary's  hand,  inflicting  a  deep 
wound.  Both  sprang  erect,  Morgan  still  holding  on 
to  the  Indian's  fingers  and  having  his  body  within  his 
grasp.  He  had  therefore  all  the  advantage,  and 
while  his  foe  was  struggling  to  disengage  himself,  he 
plunged  the  knife  to  the  hilt  in  his  body.  The  dar- 
ing old  hunter  returned  to  the  fort  in  triumph. 


176  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 


®^c  ^iroplet  of  t|e  ^Ecg^ang* 

About  fifty  years  ago,  one  of  the  missionaries  to 
the  Indians  was  on  his  way  from  Tuscarora  settlement 
to  the  Senecas.  As  he  was  journeying  along,  in  pious 
meditation,  through  the  forest,  a  majestic  Indian 
darted  from  its  recesses  and  stopped  his  progress. 
His  hair  was  somewhat  changed  with  age,  and  his 
face  marked  with  the  deep  furrows  of  time ;  but  his 
eye  expressed  all  the  fiery  vivacity  of  youthful  pas- 
sion, and  his  step  was  that  of  a  warrior  in  the  vigour 
of  manhood. 

"White  man  of  the  ocean,  whither  wanderest 
thou  ?"  said  the  Indian. 

"  I  am  travelling,"  replied  the  meek  disciple  of 
peace,  "  towards  the  dwellings  of  thy  brethren,  to 
teach  them  the  knowledge  of  the  only  true  God,  and 
to  lead  them  to  happiness  and  peace." 

"  To  happiness  and  peace !"  exclaimed  the  tall 
chief,  while  his  eyes  flashed  fire.  "  Behold  the  bless- 
ings that  follow  the  footsteps  of  the  white  man ! 
Wherever  he  comes  the  red  men  of  the  forest  fade 
away  like  the  mists  of  morning.  Our  people  once 
roamed  in  freedom  through  the  woods,  and  hunted, 
unmolested,  the  beaver,  the  elk,  and  the  bear.  From 
the  further  side  of  the  great  water  came  the  white 
man,  armed  with  thunder  and  lightning.  In  war, 
he  hunted  us  like  wild  beasts ;  in  peace,  he  destroyed 
us  by  deadly  liquors.  Depart,  dangerous  man,  and 
may  the  Great  Spirit  protect  you  on  your  journey 


THE  PROPHET  OF  THE  ALLEGHANY.     177 

homeward;  but  I  warn  you  to  depart!"  The  tall 
chief  darted  into  the  wood,  and  the  good  missionary 
pursued  his  way  with  pious  resolution. 

He  preached  the  word  of  God,  he  taught  them  the 
name  of  our  Saviour,  and  many  of  the  poor  Indians 
heard  and  believed.  In  the  course  of  eighteen 
months,  their  devotion  became  rational,  regular,  and, 
as  the  missionary  hoped,  permanent. 

But,  alas !  all  at  once  the  little  church  in  which 
the  good  man  used  to  teach  his  flock  became  desert- 
ed. No  one  came  to  listen  witli  reverence  to  the 
pure  doctrines  which  they  once  delighted  to  hear,  and 
only  a  few  idlers  were  seen  on  a  Sunday  morning, 
lounging  about,  and  casting  a  wistful,  yet  fearful 
look,  at  their  peaceful,  but  now  silent  mansion. 

The  missionary  sought  them  out,  and  explained  to 
them  the  sinfulness  of  those,  who,  having  once 
known,  abandoned  the  religion  of  the  only  true  God. 
The  poor  Indians  shook  their  heads,  and  told  him 
that  the  Great  Spirit  was  angry  with  them,  and 
had  sent  a  prophet  to  warn  them  against  listening 
to  new  teachers;  that  he  would  soon  come  amongst 
them,  when  there  would  be  a  great  meeting  of  the 
old  men,  and  he  would  then  deliver  to  the  people  the 
message  the  Great  Spirit  had  intrusted  him  with. 
The  zealous  missionary,  anxious  to  confront  the  im- 
postor whom  he  had  heard  spoken  of  as  the  "  Prophet 
of  the  Alleghany,"  and  who  was  the  brother  of  the 
famous  Tecumseh,  asked  and  obtained  permission  to 
appear  at  the  council,  when  it  was  to  be  determined 

23 


178  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

whether  they  should  follow  the  religion  of  their  fa- 
thers, or  that  of  the  white  men. 

The  council-house  not  being  large  enough  to  con- 
tain so  vast  an  assemblage  of  people,  they  met  in  a 
valley  west  of  Seneca  lake.  This  valley  is  embow- 
ered under  lofty  trees.  On  every  side  it  is  surrounded 
with  high,  rugged  hills,  and  a  little  stream  winds 
through  it.  It  was  a  scene  that  no  one  could  look 
on  with  indifference.  On  a  smooth  level,  near  the 
bank  of  the  stream,  and  under  the  shade  of  a  wide- 
spreading  elm,  sat  the  chief  men  of  the  tribe.  Around 
the  circle  which  they  formed  was  gathered  a  crowd 
of  wondering  savages,  with  eager  looks  seeming  to 
demand  the  true  God  at  the  hands  of  their  wise  men. 
In  the  middle  of  the  circle  sat  the  aged  and  way- 
worn missionary.  A  few  gray  hairs  were  scattered 
over  his  forehead;  his  hands  were  crossed  on  his 
breast;  and,  as  he  turned  his  hope-beaming  eyes 
towards  heaven,  he  seemed  to  be  calling  with  pious 
fervour  upon  the  God  of  truth,  to  vindicate  his  own 
eternal  word  by  the  mouth  of  his  servant. 

For  several  minutes  there  was  deep  silence  in  the 
valley,  save  the  whispering  of  the  wind  in  the  trees, 
and  the  gentle  murmuring  of  the  stream.  Then  all 
at  once  the  hum  of  many  voices  was  heard  through 
the  crowd,  for  the  prophet  of  the  Alleghany  was  seen 
descending  one  of  the  hills.  With  hurried  steps  and 
furious  looks  he  entered  the  circle ;  and  the  mission- 
ary saw  with  surprise  the  same  tall  chief  who,  two 
years  before,  had  crossed  him  in  the  Tuscarora  forest. 
The   same  deer-skin  hung   over  his   shoulders,  the 


Teoiimseli  and  the  Prophet. 


THE  PROPHET  OF  THE  ALLEGHANY.     181 

same  tomahawk  glittered  in  his  hand,  and  the  same 
fiery  and  turbulent  spirit  shot  from  his  eyes.  He 
addressed  the  awe-struck  savages,  and  the  whole  val- 
ley rung  with  the  sound  of  his  iron  voice. 

''Red  men  of  the  woods  !  hear  what  the  Great  Spirit 
says  to  his  children  who  have  forsaken  him  ! 

"  There  was  a  time  when  our  fathers  owned  this 
island.*  Their  lands  extended  from  the  rising  to  the 
setting  sun.  The  Great  Spirit  made  it  for  their  use. 
He  made  the  buffalo  and  the  deer  for  their  food ;  the 
beaver  and  the  bear,  too,  he  made,  and  their  skins 
served  us  for  clothing.  He  sent  rain  upon  the  earth, 
and  it  produced  corn.  All  this  he  did  for  his  Red 
children,  because  he  loved  them.  But  an  evil  day 
came  upon  us.  The  "White  men  crossed  the  water 
and  landed  on  this  island — their  numbers  were  small ; 
they  found  friends,  not  enemies.  They  told  us  they 
had  fled  from  their  own  country,  because  of  wicked 
men,  and  had  come  here  to  enjoy  their  own  religion. 
We  took  pity  on  them,  and  they  sat  down  amongst 
us.  Their  numbers  increased ;  they  wanted  more 
land — they  wanted  our  country.  They  wanted  to 
force  their  religion  upon  us,  and  to  make  us  their 
slaves ! 

''Red  men  of  the  woods  !  have  ye  not  heard  at  even- 
ing, and  sometimes  in  the  dead  of  night,  those  mourn- 
ful sounds  that  steal  through  the  deep  valleys  and 
along  the  mountain  sides  ?     These  are  the  wailings 


*  The  Indians  of  North  America  invariably  call  their  c  juntry  an 

^'Island/' 

Q 


182  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

of  those  spirits  whose  bones  have  been  turned  up  by 
th3  plough  of  the  White  man,  and  left  to  the  mercy 
of  the  rain  and  wind.  They  call  upon  you  to  avenge 
them,  that  they  may  enjoy  their  blissful  paradise  far 
beyond  the  blue  hills ! 

"Hear  me,  0  deluded  people,  for  the  last  time! — 
This  wide  region  was  once  your  inheritance ;  but  now 
the  cry  of  revelry  or  war  is  no  more  heard  on  the 
shores  of  the  majestic  Hudson,  or  on  the  sweet  banks 
of  the  silver  Mohawk.  The  eastern  tribes  have  long 
since  disappeared — even  the  forests  that  sheltered 
them  are  laid  low ;  and  scarcely  a  trace  of  our  nation 
remains,  except  here  and  there,  the  Indian  name  of 
a  stream,  or  a  village.  And  such,  sooner  or  later, 
will  be  the  fate  of  the  other  tribes ;  in  a  little  while 
they  will  go  the  way  that  their  brethren  have  gone. 
They  will  vanish  like  a  vapour  from  the  face  of  the 
earth  :  their  very  history  will  be  lost  in  forgetfulness, 
and  the  places  that  now  know  them  will  know  them 
no  more.  We  are  driven  back  until  we  can  retreat 
no  farther ;  our  hatchets  are  broken ;  our  bows  are 
snapped;  our  fires  are  extinguished;  a  little  longer 
and  the  White  man  will  cease  to  persecute  us,  for  we  shall 
cease  to  exist !"  The  Prophet  ended  his  speech,  which 
was  delivered  with  all  the  wild  eloquence  of  real  or 
fancied  inspiration,  and,  all  at  once,  the  crowd  seemed 
to  be  agitated  with  a  savage  feeling  of  indignation 
against  the  good  missionary. 

When  this  emotion  had  somewhat  subsided,  the 
mild  apostle  obtained  permission  to  speak  in  behalf 
of  Him  who  had  sent  him.     Surely  there  never  was 


THE  PROPHET  OF  THE  ALLEGHANY.     183 

a  more  touching  and  beautiful  figure  than  that  of  this 
good  man.  He  seemed  to  have  already  exceeded  the 
term  of  years  allotted  to  man  by  the  Psalmist ;  and, 
though  his  voice  was  clear  and  his  action  vigorous, 
yet  there  was  that  in  his  looks  which  seemed  to  for- 
bode  that  his  pilgrimage  was  soon  to  close  for  ever. 

With  pious  fervour  he  described  to  his  audience 
the  power  and  beneficence  of  the  Creator  of  the  uni- 
verse. He  told  them  of  Christ's  promise  of  eternal 
happiness  to  those  who  hear  his  word  and  do  his  will; 
and,  when  he  thought  that  he  had  duly  impressed 
their  minds  with  this  important  part  of  his  subject, 
he  proceeded  to  set  before  his  attentive  audience  the 
numerous  advantages  of  civilization.  He  contrasted 
the  wild  Indian  roaming  through  the  desert  in  savage 
independence,  now  revelling  in  the  blood  of  his  ene- 
my, and  in  his  turn  the  victim  of  his  cruel  ven- 
geance, with  the  peaceful  husbandman,  enjoying,  in 
the  bosom  of  his  family,  all  the  comforts  of  a  culti- 
vated life  in  this  happy  land ;  and  he  finished  by  a 
solemn  appeal  to  Heaven,  that  his  sole  motive  for 
coming  amongst  them  was  the  love  of  his  Creator 
and  of  his  fellow-creatures. 

As  the  benevolent  missionary  closed  his  address, 
Sagouaha,  {the  Keeper  awaJce,)  or,  as  he  is  usually 
called.  Red  Jacket,  a  Seneca  chief  of  great  authority, 
and  one  of  the  most  eloquent  of  his  nation,  rose  and 
enforced  the  exhortations  of  the  venerable  preacher. 
He  pleaded  the  cause  of  religion  and  humanity,  and 
concluded  his  speech  with  these  remarkable  words : — 

"  Friends  and  brothers !    It  was  the  will  of  the 


184  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

Great  Spirit  that  we  should  meet  together  this  day. 
He  orders  all  things,  and  has  given  us  a  fine  day  for 
our  council.  He  has  taken  his  garment  from  before 
the  sun,  and  caused  it  to  shine  with  brightness  upon 
us.  Our  eyes  are  opened,  so  that  we  see  clearly ;  our 
ears  are  unstopped,  so  that  we  can  hear  the  good  words 
that  have  been  spoken.  For  all  these  favours  we 
thank  the  Great  Spirit." 

The  council  then  deliberated  for  nearly  two  hours ; 
at  the  end  of  which  time,  the  oldest  man  arose  and 
solemnly  pronounced  the  result  of  their  conference : 
"  That  for  the  future  they  would  worship  the  God  of 
the  Christians;  and  that  the  missionary  who  had 
taught  them  his  laws  ought  to  be  cherished  as  their 
greatest  benefactor." 

When  this  decision  was  pronounced  by  the  venera- 
ble elder,  the  rage  of  the  Prophet  of  the  Alleghany 
became  terrible.  He  started  from  the  ground,  seized 
his  tomahawk,  and,  denouncing  the  vengeance  of  the 
Great  Spirit  upon  the  whole  assembly,  darted  from 
the  circle  with  wild  impetuosity,  and  disappeared 
amongst  the  shadows  of  the  forest. 


Tecumseh  (the  Shooting  Star)  was  the  son  of 
Blackfish,  and  brother  of  the  Prophet  of  the  Alle- 
ghany. This  noted  warrior  was  first  made  known  to 
the  public  as  the  leader  of  the  Indians  at  the  battle 


TECUMSEH.  185 

of  Tippecanoe,*  (November,  1811.)  He  burst  sud- 
denly into  notice,  but  from  that  time,  until  his  death, 
the  attention  of  the  American  people  was  con'stantly 
turned  towards  him.  He  possessed  all  the  courage, 
sagacity,  and  fortitude,  for  which  the  most  distin- 
guished Indian  chiefs  have  been  celebrated  j  and  more 
than  this,  he  was  always  disinterested  and  true  to  his 
word.  He  was  an  orator  as  well  as  a  soldier,  and  by 
the  persuasive  power  of  his  eloquence  formed  one  of 
the  most  powerful  confederacies  amongst  the  Indians. 
His  watchful  mind  was  ever  on  the  alert,  his  enmity 
never  slumbered,  and  he  was  a  stranger  to  personal 
fatigue.  He  was  of  an  independent  spirit,  remarkably 
graceful  in  his  address  and  reserved  in  his  manner. 
He  held  the  commission  of  Brigadier-General  under 
King  George  III. 


OENESAL    HARBISON. 


*  A  branch  of  the  Wabash,  in  Indiana.     In  1811,  the  English, 
with  the  Indians  who  fought  in  the  British  service,  wore  d^vfeated  by 
the  United  States'  troops  on  the  banks  of  this  river. 
24  q2 


186 


THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 


It  is  said  that  at  the  last  conference  which  General 
Harrison  Leld  at  Yincennes,  Indiana,  with  the  In- 
dians, Tecumseh,  at  the  end  of  a  long  and  animated 
speech,  found  himself  unprovided  with  a  seat.  Ob- 
serving the  neglect.  General  Harrison  ordered  a  chair 
to  he  placed  for  him,  and  requested  him  to  accept  it. 
"  Your  father,"  said  the  interpreter,  "  requests  you  to 


OOLONEI,    RICHARD    M.    JOHNSON. 


take  a  chair."     "  My  father !"  replied  the  proud  chief; 
"the  Sun  is  my  father,  and  the  Earth  is  my  mother; 


TECUMSEH.  187 

I  will  repose  upon  her  bosom ;"  and,  saying  this,  he 
sat  himself  on  the  ground,  in  the  Indian  manner. 

Such  was  Tecumseh,  who  fell  towards  the  close  of 
the  battle  of  the  Thames,*  in  a  personal  combat  with 
Colonel  Johnson  of  Kentucky.     He  was  a  Shawnee. 

Towards  the  close  of  the  last  century.  Captain 
Thomas  Brian  of  Kentucky  was  employed  by  the 
British  government  to  survey  certain  lands  in  the 
central  part  of  Ohio.  Not  being  so  fortunate  as  to 
find  game  for  several  successive  days,  his  provisions 
became  scant,  and  at  length  were  entirely  exhausted. 
He  directed  his  hunter  to  make  another  attempt  to 
procure  subsistence,  and  to  meet  him  and  his  party 
at  a  particular  spot ;  at  which,  after  the  labours  of 
the  day  were  over,  he  proposed  to  encamp  for  the 
night.  Towards  evening  the  men  became  exhausted 
with  hunger :  they  were  in  the  midst  of  an  uninhab- 
ited wilderness,  and  every  circumstance  conspired  to 
cause  the  greatest  dejection  of  spirits.  After  mak- 
ing painful  exertions  to  reach  the  place  appointed  for 
their  encampment,  they  had  the  mortification  of  learn- 
ing from  the  hunter  that  he  had  again  been  unsuc- 
cessful. He  declared  that  he  had  made  every  possi- 
ble exertion,  but  all  his  attempts  were  of  no  avail,  for 
the  whole  forest  appeared  to  him  entirely  destitute 
both  of  birds  and  beasts  !  At  this  moment  starvation 
seemed  to  await  them ;  but  Captain  Brian,  feeling  his 
spirits  roused  by  the  thoughts  of  their  desperate  situ- 

*  The  Thames  is  a  river  that  falls  into  lake  St.  Clair,  between 
lakes  Huron  and  Erie. 


188  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

ation,  thrust  his  staff  into  the  earth,  and  ordered  his 
men  to  prepare  their  camp  and  make  a  good  fire, 
whilst  he  took  the  gun  of  the  unsuccessful  hunter 
and  went  forth  in  pursuit  of  game. 

He  had  not  left  his  party  more  than  half  an  hour, 
when  he  was  cheered  by  the  sight  of  three  deer,  two 
of  which  he  shot ;  and  before  he  returned  to  the  camp 
he  had  the  good  fortune  to  kill  a  bear.  He  immedi- 
ately called  for  his  men  to  assist  him  in  carrying  the 
game  to  the  camp;  and  no  one,  except  those  who 
have  been  in  a  like  situation,  can  conceive  what  the 
feelings  are  on  such  an  occasion ! 

But  miserable  as  the  plight  of  the  surveyor  and  his 
party  had  been,  there  were  others  not  far  off  who 
were  suffering  still  greater  distress.  Five  Indians, 
who  had  been  out  on  a  hunting  excursion,  hearing 
the  report  of  Captain  Brian's  gun,  made  immediately 
in  that  direction,  and  arrived  at  the  camp  at  the  same 
moment  that  he  did.  They  soon  explained  their 
wretched  situation,  telling  Brian  that  for  the  last  two 
days  their  whole  party  had  subsisted  on  one  skunk ! 
They  described  the  absence  of  game,  in  the  language 
of  the  hunter,  "  as  if  the  whole  forest  was  entirely 
destitute  both  of  birds  and  beasts." 

Captain  Brian  told  them  that  he  had  now  plenty 
for  them  and  his  own  party  too,  and  kindly  welcomed 
them  to  his  fire.  He  bid  them  help  his  men  in  flay- 
ing the  bear  and  deer,  which  were  now  brought  into 
the  camp,  and  then  to  cook,  cut,  and  carve  lor  them- 
selves. Their  looks  were  expressive  of  the  joy  they 
felt  for  so  unexpected  a  deliverance ;  nor  did  they 


TECUMSEH.  189 

spare  the  provision.  Their  hunger  was  such  that  as 
soon  as  one  round  was  served,  another  and  another 
were  quickly  devoured. 

After  all  were  satisfied,  a  fine,  tall,  and  graceful 
young  Indian  stepped  up  to  Captain  Brian,  (who  was 
now  reposing  on  account  of  great  fatigue  and  severe 
rheumatism,)  and  informed  him  that  the  old  man 
present  was  a  chief;  that  he  felt  very  grateful  to  the 
Great  and  Good  Spirit  for  so  signal  an  interposition 
in  their  favour ;  that  he  was  about  to  make  a  prayer, 
and  address  the  Great  Spirit,  and  thank  him :  that  it 
was  the  custom,  on  such  occasions,  for  the  Indians  to 
stand  up  in  their  camp ;  and  that  his  chief  requested 
the  captain  and  his  men  to  conform,  in  like  manner, 
by  standing  up  in  their  camp.  Brian  replied,  that  his 
men  should  all  conform,  and  order  should  be  pre- 
served ;  but  as  for  himself,  he  felt  too  ill  to  rise  any 
more  that  night ;  but  he  begged  that  this  might  not 
be  considered  out  of  any  disrespect. 

The  old  chief  then  rose,  as  did  all  around  him ;  and 
lifting  up  his  hands,  commenced  his  prayer  and  thanks- 
giving with  an  audible  voice.  And  a  more  beautiful 
address  to  the  Deity,  on  such  an  occasion,  surely  never 
flowed  from  mortal  lips !  The  tone,  the  modulation 
of  his  voice,  the  gestures,  all  combined  to  make  a 
deep  impression  on  his  hearers.  In  the  course  of  his 
thanksgiving  he  recapitulated  the  fearful  situation  in 
which  they  so  recently  had  been ;  the  horrors  of  star- 
vation with  which  they  were  threatened,  the  vain 
attempts  they  had  made  to  procure  food,  until  He,  the 
Great,  the  Good  Spirit,  had  sent  the  white  man  forth 


190  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

and  crowned  his  exertions  with  success,  and  so  directed 
him  and  them  to  meet,  and  to  find  plenty.  But  who 
can  describe  the  abundant  overflowings  of  a  grateful 
heart  ?  He  continued  in  this  strain  for  about  half  an 
hour ;  when  Brian's  men,  reflecting  on  their  own  re- 
cent situation,  and  beholding  the  pious  gratitude  of 
this  "  child  of  the  forest,"  felt  the  same  sensations,  and 
were  melted  into  tenderness — if  not  into  tears. 

The  young  Indian  who  so  gracefully  addressed  Cap- 
tain Brian  in  behalf  of  his  chief  was  Tecumseh. 


^^liougal  anJj  tfje  Indian, 

Several  years  ago,  a  Scotchman  and  his  wife, 
named  M^Dougal,  emigrated  to  America.  Having 
but  very  little  money,  he  purchased  land  where  it 
was  then  sold  for  almost  nothing,  in  a  country  thinly 
peopled,  and  on  the  extreme  verge  of  civilization. 

His  first  care  was  to  construct  a  house  and  clear 
away  some  of  the  trees  round  it.  This  done,  he  spent 
his  whole  time,  early  and  late,  in  making  a  garden 
and  cultivating  a  few  fields.  By  unwearied  industry, 
and  with  the  occasional  help  of  older  settlers,  he  by 
degrees  acquired  a  stock  of  cattle,  sheep,  and  pigs, 
and  was,  in  a  rough  way,  possessed  of  a  comforta- 
ble independence. 

His  greatest  discomforts  were,  distance  from  his 
neighbours,  the  church,  market,  and  even  the  mill ; 
but,   above   all,   the   complete   separation   from  his 


M^DOTJOiL    AND    THE    INDIAN.  191 

friends ;  and  this  he  would  have  felt  still  more  had 
he  been  an  idle  man. 

One  day  farmer  M'Dougal,  having  a  quantity  of 
corn  to  grind,  knowing  that  the  distance  was  consi- 
derable and  the  road  none  of  the  smoothest,  set  out 
in  the  morning  at  sunrise,  hoping  he  should  reach 
home  again  before  dark. 

When  the  farmer  was  at  home  he  always  drove  up 
the  cows  for  his  wife  to  milk,  morning  and  evening ; 
but  now  this  care  devolved  on  her,  and  the  careful 
woman  went  out  in  quest  of  them.  Not  accustomed 
to  go  far  from  the  house,  she  soon  found  herself  in  an 
unknown  country,  and,  with  neither  pocket  compass 
nor  notched  trees  to  guide,  it  is  not  to  be  wondered 
that  she  wandered  long  and  wearily  to  very  little 
purpose.  Tall  trees  seemed  to  encompass  her  on 
every  side,  or  where  the  view  was  more  open,  she 
beheld  the  distant  blue  hills  rising  one  behind  an- 
other; but  no  village  spire  or  cottage  chimney  was 
there  to  cheer  her  on  her  way,  and  fatigued  with  the 
search,  and  despairing  of  finding  the  cattle,  she  re- 
solved, while  it  was  yet  light,  to  retrace  her  steps 
homeward. 

But  this  resolution  was  more  easily  formed  than 
executed ;  •  she  became  completely  bewildered  ;  she 
knew  not  in  which  direction  to  turn,  and  at  length, 
with  tears  in  her  eyes,  and  her  mind  agitated  almost 
to  distraction,  she  sunk  on  the  ground.  But  she  had 
not  rested  there  many  minutes  before  she  was  startled 
by  the  sound  of  approaching  footsteps,  and,  on  look- 
ing up,  she  beheld  before  her  an  Indian  hunter. 


192  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

Although  Mrs.  M^Dougal  knew  that  there  were  In- 
dians living  in  the  neighbourhood,  she  had  never  yet 
seen  one,  and  her  terror  was  very  great.  The  Indian, 
however,  knew  her ;  he  had  seen  her  before,  he  knew 
where  she  lived,  and  he  instantly  guessed  the  cause 
of  her  distress.  He  could  speak  but  a  few  words  of 
English ;  but  he  made  signs  for  her  to  follow  him. 
She  did  so,  and,  after  a  few  minutes'  walk,  they  ar- 
rived at  the  door  of  an  Indian  wigwam.  He  invited 
her  to  enter,  but  not  being  able  to  persuade  her  to  do 
so,  he  darted  into  the  wigwam,  and  spoke  a  few  words 
to  his  wife,  who  instantly  appeared,  and  by  the  kind- 
ness of  her  manner  induced  the  stranger  to  enter 
their  humble  abode.  Venison  was  prepared  for  sup- 
per, and  Mrs.  M^Dougal,  though  still  alarmed  at  the 
novelty  of  her  situation,  could  not  refuse  to  partake 
of  the  savoury  meal. 

Seeing  that  their  guest  was  weary,  the  Indians  re- 
moved from  their  place  near  the  roof  two  beautiful 
deer  skins,  and,  by  stretching  and  fixing  them  across, 
divided  the  wigwam  into  two  apartments.  Mats 
were  then  spread  in  both,  and  the  stranger  was  made 
to  understand  that  one  division  was  for  her  accommo- 
dation. But  here  again  her  courage  failed  her,  and 
to  the  most  pressing  entreaties  she  replied  that  she 
would  sit  and  sleep  by  the  fire.  This  determination 
seemed  to  puzzle  the  Indian  and  his  squaw  sadly. 
They  looked  at  one  another,  and  conversed  softly  in 
their  own  language ;  and  at  length,  the  squaw  taking 
her  guest  by  the  hand,  led  her  to  her  couch  and  be- 
came her  bedfellow. 


I 


M^DOUGAL    AND    THE    INDIANS.  193 

In  tlie  morning  she  awoke,  greatly  refreshed,  and 
anxious  to  depart  without  further  delay ;  but  this  her 
new  friends  would  not  permit,  until  she  had  eaten  of 
their  corn  cakes  and  venison.  Then  the  Indian  ac- 
companied his  guest,  and  soon  conducted  her  to  the 
spot  where  the  cattle  were  grazing.  These  he  drove 
from  the  wood,  on  the  edge  of  which  Mrs.  M'Dougal 
descried  her  husband,  who  was  equally  delighted  at 
seeing  her,  as  her  absence  from  home  all  night  had 
caused  him  great  uneasiness.  They  invited  their  In- 
dian benefactor  to  their  house,  and,  on  his  departure, 
presented  him  with  a  suit  of  clothes. 

Three  days  after  he  returned,  and  endeavoured, 
partly  by  signs,  and  partly  in  broken  English,  to  in- 
duce fanner  M'Dougal  to  follow  him  into  the  forest ; 
but  he  refused.  Time  was  precious  to  him,  who  had 
to  work  hard  for  every  thing  he  possessed,  and  the 
Indian  repeated  his  entreaties  in  vain.  The  poor 
fellow  looked  grieved  and  disappointed;  but  a  mo- 
ment after,  a  sudden  thought  struck  him.  He  hit  on 
an  expedient  which  none  but  an  Indian  hunter  would 
have  thought  of 

Mrs.  M^Dougal  had  a  young  child,  which  the  In- 
dian's quick  eye  had  not  failed  to  notice ;  and,  find- 
ing that  his  eloquence  was  completely  thrown  away 
upon  the  parents,  he  approached  the  cradle,  seized 
the  child,  and  darted  out  of  the  house  with  the  speed 
of  an  antelope.  The  father  and  mother  instantly  fol- 
lowed, loudly  calling  on  him  to  return ;  but  he  had 
no  such  intention.     He  led  them  on,  now  slower,  now 

25  R 


194  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

faster,  and  occasionally  turning  towards  them,  laugh- 
ing, and  holding  up  the  child  to  their  view. 

It  is  needless  to  go  into  all  the  details  of  this  sin- 
gular journey,  further  than  to  say  that  the  Indian, 
instead  of  enticing  them  to  his  own  wigwam,  as  they 
expected,  halted  at  length  on  the  margin  of  a  most 
beautiful  prairie,  covered  with  the  richest  vegetation, 
and  extending  over  several  thousand  acres.  In  a 
moment  the  child  was  restored  to  its  parents,  who, 
wondering  what  so  strange  a  proceeding  could  mean, 
stood  awhile  panting  for  breath,  and  looking  at  one 
another  with  silent  astonishment. 

The  Indian,  on  the  other  hand,  seemed  overjoyed 
at  the  success  of  his  manoeuvre,  and  never  did  a  hu- 
man being  frisk  about  and  gesticulate  with  greater 
animation.  We  have  heard  of  a  professor  of  signs, 
and,  if  such  a  person  were  wanted,  the  selegjion  would 
not  be  a  matter  of  difficulty,  so  long  as  any  remnant 
exists  of  the  aborigines  of  North  America.  All  tra- 
vellers agree  in  describing  their  gestures  as  highly 
dignified,  and  their  countenances  intelligent ;  and  we 
have  Mr.  M'Dougal's  authority  for  stating  that  the 
hero  of  this  tale  proved  himself  a  perfect  master  of 
the  art  of  eloquence.  His  broken  English  was  nearly 
in  these  words  : 

"  You  think  Indian  treacherous ;  you  think  him 
wish  steal  the  child.  No,  no;  Indian  has  child  of 
his  own.  Indian  knew  you  long  ago ;  saw  you  when 
you  not  see  him ;  saw  you  hard  working  man.  Some 
white  men  bad,  and  hurt  poor  Indian.  You  not  bad; 
you  work  hard  for  your  wife  and  child;   but  you 


Indian  carrying  off  Mr.  MoDongal's  Child. 


M^DOUGAL    AND   THE    INDIAN.  197 

choose  bad  place ;  you  never  make  rich  there.  In- 
dian see  your  cattle  far  in  forest ;  think  you  come 
and  catch  them;  you  not  come;  your  wife  come. 
Indian  find  her  faint  and  weary;  take  her  home; 
wife  fear  go  in ;  think  Indian  kill  her  !  No,  no ;  In- 
dian lead  her  back ;  meet  you  very  sad ;  then  very 
glad  to  see  her.  You  kind  to  Indian ;  give  him  meat 
and  drink,  and  better  clothes  than  your  own.  Indian 
grateful;  wish  you  come  here;  not  come;  Indian 
very  sorry;  take  the  child ;  know  you  follow  child. 
If  Indian  farm,  Indian  farm  here.  Good  ground; 
not  many  trees ;  make  road  in  less  than  half  a  moon; 
Indians  help  you.  Indians  your  friends ;  come,  live 
here." 

M^Dougal  immediately  saw  the  advantage  that 
such  a  change  would  be  to  him,  and,  taking  the  In- 
dian's advice,  the  day  was  soon  fixed  for  the  removal 
of  his  log-house,  along  with  the  rest  of  his  goods  and 
chattels  ;  and  the  Indian,  true  to  his  word,  brought  a 
party  of  his  red  brethren  to  assist  in  one  of  the  most 
romantic  removals  that  ever  took  place,  either  in  the 
Old  World  or  the  New. 

In  a  few  days  a  roomy  log-house  was  raised,  and  a 
garden  marked  out  in  the  most  fertile  and  beautiful 
part  of  the  prairie.  The  Indians  continued  friendly 
and  faithful,  and  the  good  understanding  between 
them  and  the  white  settlers  was  a  source  of  great 
comfort  to  both  parties. 


B8 


198  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 


^augujj  m^  <^^sim!btxMn* 


In  old  times,  whenever  war  commenced  between 
the  English  and  French  in  Europe,  their  colonies  in 
America  were  involved  in  its  calamities,  to  an  un- 
known and  fearful  extent ;  and  wars  were  constantly 
going  on  in  America  in  which  the  Indians  fought 
sometimes  on  the  side  of  the  English  against  the 
French,  and  sometimes  with  the  French  against  the 
English.  Some  chiefs  and  tribes  were  noted  for  being 
the  firm  and  faithful  friends  of  the  white  men,  and 
others  were  known  as  their  implacable  foes.  In  the 
month  of  May,  1725,  a  memorable  battle  was  fought 
between  the  English  colonists  commanded  by  Captain 
Lovewell,  and  the  Pequakets,  a  tribe  of  Indians  who 
then  inhabited  the  State  of  New  Hampshire.  Amongst 
Lovewell's  men,  was  a  New  Hampshire  settler,  named 
John  Chamberlain.  He  was  one  of  those  rugged 
spirits  who  at  that  time  moved  from  the  thickly  set- 
tled country  near  the  coast,  and  penetrated  into  the 
wilderness.  On  his  scouting  expeditions  to  surprise 
the  frontier  settlers,  the  Indian  passed  his  rude  log- 
house,  buried  amongst  trees  and  mountains.  Around 
it  were  the  haunts  of  the  wild  beasts  of  the  forest. 
The  smoky  rafters  of  his  hut  were  hung  with  gam- 
mons of  the  bear  that  had  tumbled  from  the  white 
pine  at  the  sound  of  his  unerring  rifle ;  and  at  night 
he  lay  on  the  soft  fur  of  the  dun  catamount. 

He  was  tall — tall  as  the  stateliest  Indian.  Strong  ? 
Two  of  them  were  hardly  a  match  for  him  with  their 


PAUGUS    AND    CHAMBERLAIN.  199 

tomahawks  against  his  heavy  hatchet.  "Was  he  swift 
of  foot  ?  He  could  outrun  the  moose  in  full  trot. 
Sagacious  and  eagle-eyed,  he  entrapped  the  Indian  in 
his  ambush,  and  surpassed  him  in  that  instinct  which 
guides  alike  the  savage  and  the  wild  beast  through 
the  wide  and  pathless  forest. 

The  red  men  passed  cautiously  by  the  dwelling  of 
John  Chamberlain.  As  they  watched  in  ambush  for 
game,  they  would  lie  still  and  suffer  him  to  go  on  un- 
molested, even  if  there  were  half  a  score  of  them ;  for 
they  feared  lest  their  rifles  should  miss  what  they 
deemed  his  charmed  body,  and  bring  down  his  ven- 
geance upon  them. 

There  is  a  beautiful  lake  in  New  Hampshire  which 
is  still  called  by  the  Indian  name,  Winnipisiogee.  It 
is  twenty-eight  miles  long  and  ten  wide ;  the  country 
around  is  hilly,  and  clothed  with  thick  woods.  On 
the  shores  of  this  lake  there  dwelt  a  powerful  tribe 
of  Indians  called  Pequakets.  Paugus  was  their  chief 
He  was  a  savage  of  great  strength  and  stature :  swift, 
cunning,  and  deadly  with  his  rifle  and  his  tomahawk ; 
cruel  and  vengeful  beyond  the  wonted  vengeance  of 
savages ;  the  terror  of  man,  woman,  and  child  along 
the  frontiers,  and  even  of  the  towns  that  were  further 
removed  from  the  scenes  of  his  violence. 

Parties  of  armed  men  had  penetrated  through  the 
woods  to  the  shores  of  the  Winnipisiogee,  to  discover 
the  retreat  of  this  terrible  savage,  and,  if  possible, 
to  take  him  prisoner.  But  he  was  too  sagacious,  and 
always  eluded  their  search.  Once,  indeed,  when  they 
had  set  his  wigwam  on  fire,  he  was  hidden  so  near 


200  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

the  spot  that  he  felt  the  heat  of  the  flames,  and  saw 
the  smoke  curling  over  the  tops  of  the  trees  under 
which  he  lay  concealed. 

In  the  skirmishes  with  the  Indians,  in  which  Cham- 
berlain was  often  engaged,  he  had  constantly  endea- 
voured to  single  out  Paugus  as  the  foe  most  worthy 
of  his  rifle ;  nor  was  Paugus  less  willing  to  encounter 
the  far-famed  settler ;  but  they  had  never  chanced  to 
meet.  The  time,  however,  was  now  at  hand,  when 
one  of  these  mighty  men  must  yield  to  the  superior 
power  or  craft  of  his  rival.  The  colonists,  under  Cap- 
tain Lovewell,  had  marched  out  with  the  expectation 
of  meeting  Paugus  and  his  men.  They  had  already 
penetrated  the  woods  to  a  considerable  distance,  and 
arrived  at  the  place  where  they  expected  to  find  In- 
dians. Early  on  the  morning  of  the  7th  of  May, 
whilst  at  prayers,  they  heard  a  gun,  and,  starting  up, 
they  immediately  prepared  for  an  encounter ;  but  no 
Indians  were  in  sight,  except  a  hunter,  whom  Ensign 
Wyman  discovered  carrying  two  black  ducks  in  one 
hand  and  a  gun  in  the  other.  There  can  be  no  pro- 
bability that  he  thought  of  meeting  an  enemy;  but 
no  sooner  was  he  seen  by  the  colonists,  than  several 
guns  were  fired  at  him,  but  missed  him.  Seeing  that 
certain  death  was  his  lot,  the  Indian  resolved  to  de- 
fend himself  as  long  as  he  could.  He  levelled  his 
gun  at  his  assailants,  and  Captain  Lovewell  was  mor- 
tally wounded,  whilst,  almost  at  the  same  moment. 
Ensign  Wyman,  taking  deliberate  aim,  killed  the 
poor  hunter. 

The  remainder  of  this  day  passed  without  further 


PAT^GUS    AND    CHAMBERLAIN.  201 

adventure,  though  the  colonists  were  in  constant  ap- 
prehension of  falling  into  some  snare  prepared  by  the 
wily  Paugus.  On  the  morning  of  the  8th,  Mr.  Frye, 
the  chaplain,  having  assembled  the  men  as  usual  be- 
fore they  resumed  their  day's  march,  commenced  his 
prayer  with  these  words :  "  We  came  out  to  meet  the 
enemy;  we  have  all  along  prayed  God  that  we  might 
find  them  -,  we  had  rather  give  up  our  lives  to  Provi- 
dence, yea,  and  die  for  our  country,  than  return  home 
without  seeing  them,  and  be  called  cowards  for  our 
pains."  The  chaplain  did  not  pray  in  vain ;  for  about 
noon  the  colonial  troops  encountered  an  almost  over- 
whelming body  of  Indians,  who  rose  from  their  co- 
verts and  nearly  encircled  them,  but  seemed  loath  to 
begin  the  fight;  for  they  were,  no  doubt,  in  hopes 
that  the  colonists,  seeing  their  numbers,  would  yield 
without  a  battle.  They,  therefore,  made  towards 
them  with  their  guns  presented.  They  then  held  up 
ropes  which  they  had  provided  for  securing  their  cap- 
tives, and  asked  them  if  they  would  have  quarter. 
This  only  encouraged  the  colonists,  who  answered, 
"  only  at  the  muzzles  of  our  guns ;"  and  they  rushed 
towards  the  Indians,  firing  as  they  pressed  on,  and, 
killing  many,  drove  them  back  several  rods.  But 
they  soon  rallied  and  fired  vigorously  in  their  turn, 
and  obliged  the  colonists  to  retreat,  leaving  several 
dead  and  others  badly  wounded.  Lovewell,  though 
mortally  wounded  the  preceding  day,  had  led  his  men 
until  this  time,  but  now  fell  to  rise  no  more. 

The  fight  continued  very  furious  and  obstinate  till 
towards  night,  the  Indians  roaring  and  howling  like 

26 


202  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

wolves,  barking  like  dogs,  and  making  all  sorts  of 
hideous  noises,  as  is  their  custom  whilst  engaged  in 
battle;  but  before  night  they  were  completely  de- 
feated, whilst  the  loss  of  the  colonists  was  very  great, 
and,  among  others,  the  worthy  chaplain,  Jonathan 
Frye,  was  slain. 

After  the  thickest  and  most  desperate  of  the  con- 
flict was  over.  Chamberlain,  weary  with  fighting, 
thirsty  and  faint  with  heat,  retired  to  the  edge  of  a 
lake  (since  known  by  the  name  of  Lovewell's  pond)  to 
drink  and  to  wash  out  his  gun,  which  had  grown  so 
foul  with  frequent  firing  that  at  last  he  could  not 
make  it  go  oflf.  He  pushed  his  way  through  a  copse 
of  willows  to  a  little  beach  by  the  pond,  when,  lo ! 
from  the  thicket,  at  a  short  distance  from  him,  ap- 
peared the  stately  figure  of  Paugus,  covered  with  dust 
and  blood,  and  making  his  way  likewise  to  the  water. 

The  warriors  knew  each  other  at  a  glance.  Cham- 
berlain's gun  was  useless,  and  he  thought  of  rushing 
upon  Paugus  with  his  hatchet  before  he  could  level 
his  rifle;  but  the  Indian's  gun  was  in  the  same  con- 
dition with  his  own,  and  he,  too,  had  come  to  the 
edge  of  the  pond  to  quench  his  thirst,  and  hastily 
scour  out  his  foul  rifle.  The  condition  of  the  rifles 
was  instantly  seen  by  the  enemies,  and  they  agreed 
to  a  truce  while  they  washed  them  out  for  the  en- 
counter. Slowly  and  with  equal  movements  they 
cleaned  their  guns,  and  took  their  stations  on  the 
beach.  "  Now,  Paugus,"  cried  Chamberlain,  "  I'll 
have  you ;"  and,  with  the  quickness  and  steadiness 
of  an  old  hunter,  he  loaded  his  rifle,     **'  Na,  na,  me 


Paugas  and  Chamberlain 


PAUGUS   AND    CHAMBERLAIN.  205 

have  you,"  replied  Paugus ;  and  he  handled  his  gun 
with  a  dexterity  that  made  the  bold  heart  of  Cham- 
berlain beat  faster,  whilst  he  involuntarily  raised  his 
eyes  to  take  a  last  look  of  the  sun.  They  rammed 
their  cartridges,  and  each  at  the  same  instant  cast 
his  ramrod  upon  the  sand.  "  I'll  have  you,  Paugus," 
shouted  Chamberlain  again,  as  in  his  desperation  he 
almost  resolved  to  fall  upon  the  savage  with  the,  butt 
end  of  his  rifle,  lest  he  should  receive  his  bullets  be- 
fore he  could  load.  Paugus  trembled  as  he  applied 
his  powder  horn  to  the  priming.  Chamberlain's 
quick  ear  heard  the  grains  of  his  powder  rattle  lightly 
on  the  leaves  which  lay  at  his  feet.  Chamberlain 
struck  his  gun-breech  violently  upon  the  ground — the 
vi^e  jprimed  itself !  he  aimed,  and  the  bullets  whistled 
through  the  heart  of  Paugus.  He  fell — and,  as  he 
went  down,  the  bullet  from  the  muzzle  of  his  ascend- 
ing rifle  whizzed  through  Chamberlain's  hair,  and 
passed  off,  without  avenging  the  death  of  its  master, 
into  the  bordering  wilderness. 

The  hunter,  after  he  recovered  the  shock  of  this 
sudden  and  fearful  encounter,  cast  a  look  upon  the 
fallen  savage.  The  paleness  of  death  had  come  over 
his  copper-coloured  forehead.  He  seized  the  rifle,  the 
bullet  pouch,  and  powder  horn,  and,  leaving  him  on 
the  sand,  sought  again  the  lessened  ranks  of  the 
white  men,  as  they  wearily  defended  themselves 
against  the  savages.  He  shouted  to  them  of  the  fall 
of  Paugus.  The  Indians  looked  around  them ;  the 
tall  figure  of  their  chief  was  nowhere  to  be  seen. 
In  grief  and  despair  they  ceased  their  fire,  and  fell 


206  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

back  into  the  woods,  leaving  Wyman,  with  Chamber- 
lain, and  the  small  remains  of  the  band  of  white 
men,  to  retrace  their  way  to  the  distant  settlement. 

The  spot  on  which  this  fight  took  place  was  fifty 
miles  from  any  white  inhabitants,  and  it  was  almost 
miraculous  that  any  should  have  escaped  death  at  the 
hands  of  Paugus  and  his  courageous  warriors.  Those 
who  survived  did  not  leave  the  battle-ground  till  near 
midnight,  and  only  fourteen  lived  to  return  to  their 
friends.  One  man,  named  Solomon  Keyes,  having 
received  three  wounds,  said  he  would  hide  himself, 
and  die  in  a  secret  place,  where  the  Indians  could  not 
find  him  to  get  his  scalp.  As  he  crawled  upon  the 
shore  of  Lovewell's  pond,  at  some  distance  from  the 
scene  of  action,  he  found  a  canoe,  into  which  he  rolled 
himself,  and  was  drifted  away  by  the  wind.  To  his 
great  joy  and  astonishment,  he  was  cast  ashore  at  no 
great  distance  from  the  fort  at  which  "Wyman's  men 
shortly  after  arrived,  and,  gaining  strength,  was  soon 
able  to  return  home. 

Fifty  men  from  New  Hampshire  were  immediately 
ordered  to  march  to  the  scene  of  action,  where  they 
found  and  buried  the  dead.  They  found  the  bodies 
of  only  three  Indians ;  the  rest  had  undoubtedly  been 
taken  away  by  their  comrades. 

Thus  terminated  the  expedition  against  the  Pe- 
quakets;  and,  although  the  whites  could  scarcely 
claim  the  victory,  yet  the  northern  Indians  received 
a  blow  from  which  they  hardly  recovered.  Several 
songs  were  written  upon  the  subject ;  but  it  must  be 
confessed  that  they  were  much  more .  circumstantial 


o 
o 


J 


INDIAN    CHILDREN.  209 

than  poetical,  and  it  can  hardly  be  expected  that  any 
cultivated  reader  should  take  sufficient  interest  in  the 
subject  to  make  him  wish  for  even  a  specimen. 


The  Indians  have  been  frequently  represented  as 
ilmost  devoid  of  natural  affection,  or  indeed  of  feel- 
ing altogether ;  but  this  is  a  mistake,  which  probably 
arises  from  the  great  command  over  their  feelings 
which  they  are  in  the  habit  of  exercising,  particularly 
when  in  the  presence  of  strangers.  Those  persons 
who  have  had  the  best  opportunities  of  knowing  the 
real  character  of  the  Indians  have  remarked,  amongst 
many  other  good  traits,  the  great  affection  that  they 
have  for  their  children,  anid  the  respect  which  young 
people  pay,  not  only  to  their  own  parents,  but  to  all 
elderly  people. 

Before  they  can  run  alone,  th3  little  papoose  is  con- 
fined in  a  cradle  which  is  carried  on  the  mother's 
back  while  she  is  at  her  work,  or  set  upright  against 
the  wall. 

The  children,  both  boys  and  girls,  appear  to  be 
particularly  under  the  care  of  their  mother:  she 
teaches  them  how  to  make  leggins,  moccasins,  and 
many  other  things  that  have  already  been  described ; 
and  if  she  be  a  good  mother,  as  many  of  these  poor 
squaws  are,  she  is  particular  in  keeping  her  daughters 
continually  employed,  so  that  they  may  have  the  re- 

2X  s2 


210  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

putation  of  being  industrious  girls,  which  is  a  recom- 
mendation to  the  young  men  to  marry  them. 

Corporal  punishment  is  very  seldom  resorted  to  for 
the  correction  of  children;  but  if  they  commit  any 
fault,  it  is  common  for  the  mother  to  blacken  their 
faces  and  send  them  out  of  the  lodge :  when  this  is 
done,  they  are  not  allowed  to  eat  till  it  is  washed  oJ0f, 
and  sometimes  they  are  kept  a  whole  day  in  this 
situation,  as  a  punishment  for  their  misconduct. 

There  is  a  considerable  difference  in  the  manners 
and  characters  of  different  tribes,  some  being  brave, 
honourable,  and  generous,  while  others  are  noted  for 
their  treacherous  disposition  and  filthy  habits.  In 
many  tribes  their  families  appear  to  be  well  regulated, 
and  great  pains  are  taken  by  the  chiefs  and  principal 
men  to  impress  upon  the  minds  of  the  younger  part 
of  their  respective 'nations  what  they  conceive  to  be 
their  duty. 

When  the  boys  are  six  or  seven  years  of  age,  a 
small  bow  and  arrows  are  put  into  their  hands,  and 
they  are  sent  out  to  shoot  birds  around  the  lodge  or 
village  :  this  they  continue  to  do  five  or  six  years, 
and  then  their  father  procures  for  them  short  guns, 
and  they  begin  to  hunt  ducks,  geese,  and  small  game. 
In  the  winter  evenings  their  father  will  relate  to  them 
the  manner  of  approaching  a  deer,  elk,  or  buffalo,  and 
describe  the  manner  of  setting  traps  for  different  ani- 
mals :  when  he  is  able,  he  will  take  them  a  hunting 
with  him,  and  show  them  the  tracks  of  wild  beasts. 
To  all  these  instructions  the  boys  pay  the  most  earn- 
est attention. 


INDIAN    CHILDREN.  211 

The  Indians  generally  appear  to  be  more  afflicted 
at  the  loss  of  au  infant,  or  young  child,  than  of  a 
person  who  has  arrived  at  mature  years  ;  the  latter, 
they  think,  can  provide  for  himself  in  the  country 
whither  he  has  gone,  but  the  former  is  too  young  to 
provide  for  himself 

The  men  appear  ashamed  to  show  any  signs  of  grief 
at  the  loss  of  any  relation,  however  dear  he  might 
have  been  to  them ;  but  the  women  do  not  attempt  to 
conceal  their  feelings ;  and  on  the  loss  of  either  hus- 
band or  child,  they  cut  off  their  hair,  disfigure  their 
faces  and  limbs  with  black  paint,  and  even  with  cuts, 
and  burn  all  their  clothes  excepting  a  few  miserable 
rags. 

A  striking  display  of  the  strong  affection  that  an 
Indian  feels  for  his  child  occurred  some  years  since  in 
a  town  in  Maine.  One  of  the  Kennebec  tribe,  re- 
markable for  his  good  conduct,  had  received  a  grant 
of  land  from  the  State,  and  settled  himself  in  a  part 
of  the  country  where  several  families  were  already 
settled.  Though  by  no  means  ill-treated,  yet  the 
common  prejudice  against  Indians  prevented  any 
sympathy  with  him ;  and  he  felt  this  keenly,  when, 
at  the  death  of  his  only  child,  none  of  his  neighbours 
came  near  him  to  attend  the  funeral. 

A  few  months  afterwards  he  announced  his  inten- 
tion of  leaving  the  village ;  he  called  on  some  of  the 
inhabitants,  and  expressed  himself  in  the  following 
manner : — "  When  white  man's  child  die,"  said  he, 
"  Indian  man  be  sorry ;  he  help  bury  him.  When 
my  child  die,  no  one  speak  to  me — I  make  his  grave 


212  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

alone — I  can  no  live  here."  He  gave  up  his  farm, 
dug  up  the  lody  of  Ms  child,  and  carried  it  with  him 
two  hundred  miles,  through  the  forest,  to  join  the 
Canadian  Indians. 

Not  long  after  the  first  English  settlers  had  estab; 
lished  themselves  in  Pennsylvania,  during  the  winter 
a  white  man's  child  strayed  away  from  his  parent's 
house ;  and  after  having  in  vain  been  sought  in  every 
direction  by  the  parents  for  a  whole  day  and  night, 
the  father  resolved  to  apply  for  assistance  to  one  of 
his  Indian  neighbours,  with  whom  he  had  always 
lived  on  friendly  terms.  He  knew  the  superior  facility 
with  which  the  Indians,  who  are  in  the  habit  of  con- 
stantly roaming  the  woods,  can  detect  and  distinguish 
objects  of  sight  and  sound. 

Osamee,  for  that  was  the  name  of  the  friendly  In- 
dian, immediately  went  to  the  house  of  the  parents, 
and  looking  attentively  round  it,  soon  discovered  the 
little  footsteps  of  a  child  and  the  direction  which  they 
had  taken;  and  although  the  child's  father  could 
hardly  discover  the  marks  and  signs  by  which  he  was 
guided,  he  followed  the  track  with  as  much  apparent 
ease  and  confidence  as  a  civilized  traveller  would  a 
turnpike  road,  and  after  tracing  it  for  about  three 
miles  into  the  forest,  he  found  the  poor  child  lying 
under  a  tree,  crying  bitterly,  and  almost  perishing 
with  cold. 

This  little  incident  was  the  means  of  reconciling 
some  of  the  white  people  to  the  near  settlement  of 
the  Indians,  of  whom  they  had  been  in  dread ;  but 
they  now  rather  rejoiced  in  having  such  good  neigh- 


r 


Wanou  and  the  English  Officer. 


WA-NOU   AND    THE    ENGLISH    OFFICER.  215 

hours ;  and  it  would  have  been  well  for  both  parties 
if  the  good  feelings  shown  by  the  Indians  to  the  first 
settlers  in  some  hundreds  of  instances  had  met  with 
such  a  return  as  men  calling  themselves  Christians 
were  bound  to  make ;  but,  alas !  it  was  far  otherwise. 


k 


An  anecdote  which  has  been  preserved,  concerning 
an  old  Mohegan  Indian  named  Wanou,  affords  a  strik- 
ing example  of  the  strong  affection  of  a  father  towards 
his  only  son. 

During  the  frequent  wars  which  took  place  between 
the  'Indians  and  the  white  men,  the  former  had  de- 
feated a  party  of  English  soldiers,  and  put  them  to 
flight.  The  retreat  being  without  order,  a  young 
English  officer,  in  attempting  to  escape,  was  pursued 
by  two  of  the  savages,  and  finding  an  escape  imprac- 
ticable, he  determined  to  sell  his  life  as  dearly  as  possi- 
ble. He  turned  round  to  face  his  enemies,  and  a  vio- 
lent conflict  commenced,  in  which  he  must  have  soon 
fallen ;  but  just  as  one  of  his  assailants  was  about  to 
raise  the  fatal  tomahawk  over  his  head,  an  old  Indian 
threw  himself  between  the  combatants,  and  the  red 
men  instantly  retired  with  respect. 

The  old  man  took  the  young  officer  by  the  hand, 
dispelled  his  fears,  and  led  him  through  the  forest  to 
his  wigwam,  where  he  treated  him  with  the  greatest 
kindness.     He  seemed  to  take  pleasure  in  the  youth's 


216  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

company ;  he  was  his  constant  companion ;  he  taught 
him  his  language,  and  made  the  rude  arts  of  his 
countrymen  familiar  to  him.  They  lived  happily 
together,  though  the  thoughts  of  home  would  occa- 
sionally disturb  the  Englishman's  tranquillity,  and  for 
a  while  his  countenance  appeared  sorrowful.  At  these 
times  Wa-nou  would  survey  his  young  friend  atten- 
tively, and  while  he  fixed  his  eyes  upon  him,  the 
tears  would  start  into  them. 

On  the  return  of  spring,  hostilities  were  recom- 
menced, and  every  warrior  appeared  in  arms.  Wa- 
nou,  whose  strength  was  still  sufficient  to  support  the 
toils  of  war,  set  out  with  the  rest,  accompanied  by 
his  prisoner.  The  Indians  having  marched  above 
two  hundred  miles,  at  length  arrived  within  sight  of 
the  English  camp.  Wa-nou  observed  the  young  man's 
countenance  whilst  he  showed  him  the  camp  of  his 
countrymen.  "There  are  thy  brethren,"  said  he, 
"  waiting  to  fight  us.  Listen  to  me.  I  have  saved 
thy  life.  I  have  taught  thee  to  make  a  canoe,  a  bow 
and  arrows;  to  hunt  the  bear  and  the  buffalo;  to 
bring  down  the  deer  at  full  speed,  and  to  outwit  even 
the  cunning  fox.  What  wast  thou  when  I  first  led 
thee  to  my  wigwam  ?  Thy  hands  were  like  those  of 
a  child ;  they  served  neither  to  support  nor  to  defend 
thee;  thou  wert  ignorant,  but  from  me  thou  hast 
learnt  every  thing.  Wilt  thou  be  ungrateful,  and 
raise  up  thine  arm  against  the  red  men  ?" 

The  young  Englishman  declared  with  much  warmth, 
that  he  would  rather  lose  his  own  life  than  shed  the 
blood  of  one  of  his  Indian  friends.     The  old  warrior 


WA-NOU   AND    THE    ENGLISH    OFFICER.  217 

seemed  to  be  overcome  by  some  painful  recollection ; 
he  covered  his  face  with  his  handsj  bowed  down  his 
head,  and  remained  in  that  posture  for  some  time ; 
then  making  as  it  were  a  strong  effort,  he  again  looked 
at  the  young  man,  and  said  to  him  in  a  tone  mixed 
with  tenderness  and  grief,  "  Hast  thou  a  father  ?" 

"  He  was  living,"  said  the  young  man,  "  when  I 
left  my  country." 

"  Oh,  how  fortunate  he  is  still  to  have  a  son !"  cried 
the  Indian;  and  then,  after  a  minute's  silence,  he 
added,  "  Knowest  thou  that  I  have  been  a  father, 
but  I  am  no  longer  so  ?  I  saw  my  son  fall  in  battle ; 
he  fought  bravely  by  my  side ;  my  son  fell  covered 
with  wounds,  and  he  died  like  a  man !  but  I  revenged 
his  death ;  yes,  I  revenged  it." 

Wa-nou  pronounced  these  words  with  great  vehe- 
mence ;  his  whole  frame  seemed  agitd,ted ;  his  eyes 
lost  their  usual  serenity,  and  his  chest  heaved  with 
deep  sighs.  By  degrees  he  became  more  calm,  and, 
turning  towards  the  east  where  the  sun  had  just  risen, 
he  said, — 

"  Young  man,  thou  seest  that  glorious  light — does 
it  afford  thee  any  pleasure  to  behold  it?" 

"  Yes,"  replied  the  Englishman,  "  I  never  look  upon 
the  rising  sun  without  pleasure,  or  without  feeling 
thankful  to  our  great  Father  who  created  it." 

"  I  am  glad  that  thou  art  happy,  but  there  is  no 
more  pleasure  for  me,"  said  Wa-nou.  A  moment 
after,  he  showed  the  young  man  a  shrub  that  was  in 
full  bloom. 


218  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

"  Seest  thou  that  beautiful  plant  ?"  said  he.  "  Hast 
thou  any  pleasure  in  beholding  it  ?" 

"  Yes,  great  pleasure,"  replied  the  young  man. 

"  To  me,  it  can  no  longer  give  pleasure,"  said  the 
old  man  :  and  then,  after  embracing  the  young  Eng- 
lishman with  great  affection,  he  concluded  with  these 
words :  "  Begone^  hasten  to  thine  own  country^  that  thy 
father  may  still  have  pleasure  in  beholding  the  rising  sun 
and  the  flowers  of  spring'^ 


Hanna's  Town,  in  Westmoreland  county,  is  famous, 
in  the  early  records  of  Pennsylvania,  as  the  first 
place  west  of  the  AUeghanies  where  justice  was  dis 
pensed  according  to  the  legal  forms  of  the  white  man. 
The  dignity  of  this  venerable  settlement  may  be  con- 
ceived from  the  fact,  that  the  court  was  established 
there  coeval  with  the  formation  of  the  county,  as 
well  as  from  the  no  less  authentic  fact,  that  its  thirty 
log  cabins  were  then  dignified  by  the  title  of  houses. 
The  court-house  and  jail  were  of  the  same  frail  mar 
terial  as  the  houses,  as  was  likewise  the  fort.  Here, 
amid  difficulties  in  the  pursuit  of  knowledge,  of  which 
modern  barristers  have  little  idea,  much  less  expe- 
rience, the  legal  gentlemen  of  that  day  struggled  on 
to  fame  and  affluence,  and  in  a  manner,  too,  which 
astonished  the  good  people  of  that  early  county  town. 
The  first  presiding  justice  was  Robert  Hanna,  und 


BURNING    OF   HANNa's   TOWN.-  219 

Thomas  Smith,  afterwards  a  judge  in  the  supreme 
court,  was  an  occasional  resident.  The  road  which  had 
been  opened  by  General  Forbes,  while  marching  to 
Fort  Pitt,  passed  through  the  town.  The  periodical 
return  of  the  court  brought  together  a  hardy,  adven- 
turous, frank,  and  open  hearted  set  of  men  from  the 
Red  stone,  the  George  creek,  the  Yough'ogheny,  the 
Monongahela,  the  "  Catfish  settlements,"  and  from 
the  region  known  as  Old  Westmoreland.  On  these 
occasions  there  was  many  a  scene  of  joyous  merri- 
ment ;  for  such  men,  in  such  times,  when  they  did 
meet,  met  joyously.  But  this  bright  scene  was  des- 
tined to  be  clouded  and  destroyed  by  the  terrible 
scenes  of  one  stormy  day. 

On  the  13th  of  July,  1782,  a  party  of  the  inha- 
bitants were  harvesting  in  the  field  of  one  O'Connor, 
about  a  mile  and  a  half  north  of  the  village.  That 
summer  had  been  one  of  constant  terror  and  distress, 
owing  to  the  successful  incursions  of  Indians  upon 
the  neighbouring  frontier.  Several  families  of  Han- 
na's  Town  had  abandoned  their  homes,  and,  with 
some  from  the  adjoining  settlements,  had  repaired  to 
Miller's  station,  two  miles  to  the  south.  While  the 
reaping  party  were  busily  engaged,  one  of  them,  who 
had  been  near  the  woods,  returned  in  great  alarm, 
and  reported  that  a  number  of  Indians  were  ap- 
proaching. Each  threw  down  his  sickle  and  ran  for 
the  town.  Their  arrival  caused  a  scene  of  conster- 
nation and  uproar.  Many  rushed  toward  the  fort; 
some  ran  up  and  down  seeking  their  wives  or  chil- 
dren ;  others  assisted  the  aged.     The  jail  door  was 


220  THRILLING    ADVENTtTRES. 

flung  open ;  men,  women,  and  children  stumbled  and 
fell  over  each  other  in  the  eager  race  to  gain  a  place 
of  safety.  Uncertainty  as  to  the  number  and  de- 
signs of  the  Indians,  increased  the  apprehensions  of 
them;  and  it  was  not  until  the  entire  population 
were  involved  in  a  state  of  inextricable  confusion, 
that  a  few  conceived  the  fortunate  idea  of  sending 
out  spies  to  ascertain  something  certain.  Accordingly 
four  young  men,  armed  with  rifles,  set  out  on  foot  for 
O'Connor's  field,  by  way  of  the  Highlands ;  while 

Captain  J ,  who  was  accidentally  in  the  town, 

pursued  a  more  circuitous  route  on  horseback.  The 
captain,  arriving  first,  found  himself  very  unexpect- 
edly before  a  large  body  of  Indians,  painted  and 
armed  in  genuine  savage  style,  and  evidently  bent 
upon  the  destruction  of  Hanna.  He  turned  and  fled. 
Meeting  the  four  young  men,  he  ordered  them  to  fly, 
and  then  pushed  on  to  aid  the  inhabitants  in  their 
retreat.  David  Shaw,  one  of  the  party  on  foot,  and 
his  three  companions,  were  hotly  pursued,  but  took 
refuge  in  a  ravine  which  led  from  Crab-tree  creek. 
The  Indians,  not  aware  that  the  town  had  been 
alarmed,  refrained  from  firing,  a  circumstance  to 
which  the  four  young  men  owed  the  preservation  of 
their  lives.  Shaw,  on  entering  the  town,  found  every 
thing  desolate;  but,  on  turning  round,  beheld  the 
Indians  with  their  tufts  of  hair  flying  in  the  wind, 
and  their  tomahawks  brandished  aloft  in  air.  As 
they  uttered  the  war-whoop,  Shaw,  with  a  courage 
bordering  on  rashness,  levelled  his  rifle,  took  delibe- 
rate aim,  and  shot  one  of  their  number  dead.     He 


BURNING   OF    HANNa's    TOWN.  221 

then  rushed  toward  the  fort,  which  he  reached  in 
safety.  The  Indians  entered  the  town,  and,  exaspe- 
rated at  finding  it  deserted,  fired  the  buildings.  One 
of  them  dressed  himself  in  a  large  coat,  and  paraded 
before  the  fort.  He  was  shot  down ;  but  the  garrison 
fearful  probably  of  an  assault,  did  not  venture  to  fire 
upon  the  main  body.  A  young  lady,  named  Jennet 
Shaw,  was  killed  in  the  fort  under  circumstances  pe- 
culiarly affecting.  A  child  having  run  opposite  the 
gate  which  contained  apertures  that  occasionally  ad- 
mitted a  ball,  she  followed  it,  and  was  instantly  shot 
in  the  bosom. 

Meanwhile,  a  party  of  the  Indians  had  marched 
toward  Miller's  station.  At  that  place  a  wedding 
had  been  held  the  day  before,  and  a  number  of  the 
surrounding  settlers  had  collected  at  the  bride's  house. 
Among  them  was  John  Brownlee,  renowned  in  the 
annals  of  frontier  forage  and  scouting  expeditions, 
and  endeared  to  all  by  his  courage,  activity,  and  gene- 
rosity. The  Indians  were  acquainted  with  his  charac- 
ter, and  some  of  them  had  probably  seen  him  before. 
When  the  savages  approached,  the  bridal  party  were 
enjoying  themselves  in  the  principal  mansion.  Some 
men  were  mowing  in  a  meadow,  and  the  remaining 
inhabitants  were  occupied  in  'their  various  pursuits. 
Sudden  as  a  clap  of  thunder,  the  war-whoop  broke 
over  the  settlement.  Those  in  the  meadow,  and 
most  of  the  others,  made  their  escape.  One  man  was 
carrying  his  child  and  assisting  his  mother.  When 
they  arrived  at  the  top  of  a  neighbouring  hill,  she 
exclaimed  that  the  Indians  were  gaining  upon  them, 

t2 


222  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

and  they  would  be  murdered.  The  man  put  down 
his  child,  that  he  might  more  ejQfectually  assist  his 
mother.  He  escaped,  and  Providence  seemed  to 
smile  on  his  deed,  for  next  morning,  on  returning  to 
his  cabin,  he  found  the  little  one  asleep  in  its  bed — 
the  only  human  thing  left  living  amid  the  desolation. 
Probably  the  child  had  wandered  back  to  the  house, 
unobserved  by  the  Indians,  and  laid  itself  on  the 
well-known  couch.  At  the  principal  mansion,  the 
party  were  so  agitated  by  the  cries  of  women  and 
children  mingling  with  the  savage  war-whoop,  that  they 
remained  a  moment  irresolute.  Then  one  young  man, 
of  powerful  frame,  grasped  a  child  of  Brownlee's  and 
rushed  toward  the  fields.  He  was  pursued  by  three 
or  four  savages;  but  gained  upon  them  so  much, 
that,  on  coming  to  a  rye-field,  he  was  able  to  take 
advantage  of  a  thick  copse  to  hide  momentarily  from 
his  pursuers.  Then,  mounting  the  fence,  he  leaped 
far  out  into  the  rye  and  lay  down.  He  heard  the 
infuriated  yells  as  the  savages  rushed  by,  and  their 
low  growls  of  disappointment  when  returning.  He 
afterwards  lived  to  a  great  age.  Brownlee  seized  a 
rifle  and  rushed  toward  the  door ;  but,  while  in  the 
act  of  engaging  with  some  Indians,  he  heard  his  wife 
exclaiming,  "  Jack,  you  won't  leave  me."  He  returned 
and  sat  down  calmly  by  her.  The  whole  party,  in- 
cluding the  bridegroom  and  bride,  were  made  prison- 
ers. While  they  were  being  carried  away.  Captain 
J was  seen  dashing  toward  the  village  on  horse- 
back. So  eager  was  he  to  warn  the  settlement,  that 
he  did  not  notice  the  position  of  aflairs  until  he  was 


J^ 


BURNING    OF    HANNA  S   TOWN. 


225 


within  gun-shot.  The  Indians,  certain  of  their  prey, 
raised  their  pieces.  He  turned  and  fled,  escaping  a 
shower  of  balls,  and  reached  the  fort  in  safety. 

The  Indians  now  began  their  retreat.  After  pro- 
ceeding about  half  a  mile,  the  prisoners  observed  that 
four  or  five  of  those  around  Brownlee  interchanged 
rapid  sentences  and  looked  frequently  toward  him. 
A  little  while  after  he  stooped  slightly  to  adjust  the 
child  on  his  back.  A  chief  instantly  tomahawked 
him.  The  child  shared  his  fate.  One  of  the  women 
screamed  at  the  sight,  and  the  same  bloody  weapon, 
wielded  by  the  same  hand,  clave  her  skull.  Mrs.  Brown- 
lee looked  on,  in  speechless  horror.  On  the  approach 
of  evening,  the  marauders  halted  at  Hanna's  Town, 
regaled  themselves  on  what  they  had  stolen,  and 
awaited  the  return  of  day  to  attack  the  fort.  The 
fort  was  saved  by  a  stratagem.  At  sunset,  thirty 
sturdy  backwoodsmen  had  assembled  at  George's 
farm,  not  far  from  Miller's,  for  the  purpose  of  succour- 
ing the  fort.  Soon  after  dark  they  set  out  for  the 
fort,  some  on  horseback,  and  the  remainder  on  foot, 
each  armed  with  his  well-loaded  rifle.  They  ap- 
proached the  fort  with  proper  circumspection ;  but, 
finding  that  the  enemy  were  in  the  crab-tree  bottom, 
they  marched  to  the  gate.  The  joy  of  the  garrison 
at  this  unexpected  succour  may  be  imagined.  After 
much  consultation,  they  arrived  at  the  opinion  that 
the  Indians  would  most  probably  attack  the  fort  on 
the  following  morning.  The  garrison  numbered  fifty- 
five  or  sixty  men,  with  forty-five  rifles.  The  Indians 
were  more  than  three  hundred.     In  order  to  hide 

29 


226  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

this  disparity  of  numbers  from  the  enemy,  the  horses 
were  mounted  by  active  men,  and  brought  full  trot 
over  the  bridge,  which  crossed  the  ditch  surrounding 
the  stockade.  This  was  frequently  repeated;  and,  at 
the  same  time,  two  old  drums  were  newly  braced, 
and,  in  company  with  a  fife,  were  made  to  keep  up 
music  at  intervals  during  the  night.  While  march- 
ing and  countermarching,  the  bridge  was  frequently 
crossed  on  foot  by  the  whole  garrison.  These  mea- 
sures had  the  desired  effect.  The  military  music 
from  the  fort,  and  the  trampling  of  men  and  horses, 
were  borne,  in  the  silence  of  night,  over  the  low  lands 
of  the  crab-tree,  and  struck  terror  into  the  bosoms 
of  the  savages.  They  fled  with  their  prisoners  about 
midnight,  and  on  the  following  day  were  pursued  to 
some  distance. 

On  arriving  in  Canada,  the  Indians  surrendered 
their  prisoners  to  the  British,  where  one  of  them,  a 
young  lady  of  much  personal  beauty,  was  subse- 
quently married  to  an  English  officer.  After  the 
peace  of  1783,  the  rest  were  released,  and  returned 
to  Pennsylvania. 


THE    LOST    SISTER   OF   WYOMING. 


227 


Numerous  instances  are  on  record  of  Indians 
abandoning  their  wigwam,  throwing  off  their  habits  and 
their  religion,  and  becoming  creditable  members  of 
civilized  society.  Examples  of  the  opposite  change 
are  rare ;  yet  some  few  have  occurred.  But  it  has 
oftener  happened,  that  white  children,  when  captured 
and  brought  up  by  the  Indians,  have  forgotten  early 
associations,  or  if  too  young  to  forget,  have  often  dis- 
regarded the  difference  of  colour,  and  become  real  In- 
dians. Experience  in  these  cases  seems  to  prove  that 
the  adopted  savage  is  harder  to  win  back  to  civiliza- 
tion than  are  his  dusky  brethren  ;  and  if  this  be  es- 
tablished, the  comparative  influence  of  natural  and 
artificial  society  over  the  affections  and  happiness  of 
man  might  form  a  very  nice  question  for  the  philo- 


228  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

sophical  inquirer.  Whether  the  investigation  would 
tend  to  disturb  the  complacency  with  which  we  regard 
our  own  superiority  in  this  respect,  must  be  left  to 
the  judgment  of  every  reader. 

In  1778,  the  family  of  Mr.  Jonathan  Slocum,  near 
Wilkesbarre,  (Campbell's  Wyoming,)  Pennsylvania, 
was  attacked  by  Indians.  Within  were  two  girls 
aged  nine  and  five  years,  a  son  of  thirteen,  a  little  boy 
of  two  and  a  half,  and  their  mother.  The  men  were 
working  in  the  field,  and  two  youths  were  in  the 
porch,  grinding  a  knife.  One  of  these  was  shot  and 
scalped  with  his  own  knife.  The  eldest  sister  seized 
the  little  boy  and  ran  with  him  toward  the  fort.  The 
Indians  displayed  unwonted  humanity,  chasing  the 
girl  merely  to  frighten  her  and  enjoy  the  sight  of  her 
running.  They  then  took  the  boy  who  had  been 
turning  the  grindstone,  young  Slocum,  and  his  sister 
Frances,  and  prepared  to  depart.  Little  Slocum  was 
lame,  and  the  Indians,  instead  of  murdering  him,  set 
him  down  and  departed.  One  of  the  party  slung  the 
little  girl  over  his  shoulder ;  and  its  face  covered  with 
tears,  and  half  hidden  by  long  curling  hair,  was  the 
last  object  which  met  the  mother  s  gaze. 

Nothing  was  heard  of  the  Indians  or  their  captives 
for  more  than  a  month;  but  they  then  returned, 
murdered  the  aged  grandfather,  and  shot  a  ball  into 
the  leg  of  the  lame  boy,  which  he  carried  to  his  grave. 
They  again  plunged  into  the  woods,  and  came  no 
more.  Years  passed  away,  and  nothing  was  heard  of 
the  little  girl  and  her  fellow-captive.  When  the 
mother  had  died,  and  the  remaining  brothers  grown 


THE   LOST   SISTER   OF   WYOMING.  229 

to  manhood,  they  resolved  to  ascertain,  if  possible,  the 
fate  of  their  sister.  They  made  every  inquiry,  wrote 
letters  to  different  tribes  and  agents,  and  travelled 
through  the  west  and  into  the  Canadas.  All  was 
vain ;  and  for  fifty-eight  years  the  deep  forests,  true  to 
their  savage  inhabitants,  buried  amid  their  solitudes 
the  little  captive's  fate. 

All  this  time  Frances  was  living.  She  was  intro- 
duced to  the  knowledge  of  civilized  society  by  a  cir- 
cumstance purely  accidental.  The  Honourable  G. 
W.  Ewing,  United  States  agent  to  Indiana  territory, 
while  travelling  on  the  banks  of  the  Missiesiniwa, 
(about  1836)  lost  his  way,  was  overtaken  by  night, 
and  sought  the  shelter  of  a  neighbouring  wigwam.  It 
belonged  to  a  wealthy  hunter,  and  was  profusely  stored 
with  skins,  arms,  and  provisions.  The  agent  was 
kindly  received,  and  after  supper  entered  into  con- 
versation with  the  hostess.  Ewing  was  soon  sur- 
prised by  observing  that  her  hair  was  fine  and  flaxen- 
coloured,  and  that,  under  her  dress,  her  skin  appeared 
to  be  white.  He  received  from  her  the  astonishing 
story,  that  she  was  the  daughter  of  white  parents, 
that  her  name  was  Slocum,  that  when  five  years  old 
she  had  been  carried  captive  by  Indians  from  a  house 
on  the  Susquehanna.    All  else  was  forgotten. 

On  reaching  home,  the  agei;t  related  his  adventure 
to  his  mother.  At  her  solicitation  he  wrote  an  ac- 
count of  it,  which  he  sent  to  Lancaster  for  publication. 
Through  some  unaccountable  neglect  it  lay  in  the 
office  two  years ;  but  when  it  was  published,  it  was 
*n  a  few  days  seen  by  Mr.  Slocum  of  Wilkesbarre, 


230  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

the  little  boy  saved  by  the  girl  of  thirteen,  sixty 
years  before.  He  immediately  started  for  Indiana, 
accompanied  by  the  sister  who  had  saved  him,  at  the 
same  time  writing  to  his  brother  to  meet  him  at  the 
wigwam.  The  little  incidents  connected  with  this 
most  remarkable  journey  have  been  preserved  with 
care,  and  may  afford  ground  for  pleasurable  reflection. 
"  I  shall  know  my  sister,"  said  the  lady,  "  because 
she  lost  the  nail  of  her  first  finger.  Your  brother 
hammered  it  off  in  the  blacksmith's  shop  when  she 
was  four  years  old."  On  entering  the  cabin,  they 
beheld  an  Indian  woman,  apparently  seventy-five 
years  old,  painted  and  jewelled.  Yet  her  hair  was 
as  the  agent  had  described  it,  and  her  skin  beneath 
her  dress  appeared  white.  They  obtained  an  inter- 
preter and  began  to  converse.  We  may  imagine  the 
feelings  of  the  little  party,  while  they  Hstened  to  the 
Indian  woman's  tale.  The  incidents  of  the  assault 
and  capture — too  well  known  already — were  disclosed 
with  a  faithfulness  which  left  no  room  for  doubt. 
"How  came  your  nail  gone?"  inquired  the  sister. 
"  My  elder  brother  pounded  it  off  when  I  was  a  little 
child  in  the  shop."  "  What  was  your  name  then  ?" 
She  did  not  remember.  "Was  it  Frances?"  She 
smiled  on  hearing  the  long-forgotten  sound,  and 
promptly  answered,  "  Yes."  All  were  now  satisfied 
that  they  were  of  one  family,  and  yet  there  was  little 
joy  in  that  meeting.  There  was  a  sadness,  not  merely 
through  remembrance  of  the  past,  but  of  a  kind  pre- 
sent, deep,  painful;  for  though  the  brothers  were 
walking  the  cabin  unable  to  speak,  and  the  sister  was 


THE   LOST   SISTER   OF   WYOMING.  231 

sobbing  in  anguish,  yet  there  sat  the  poor  Indian  sis- 
ter, motionless  and  passionless.  No  throb  disclosed 
that  the  chords  of  her  bosom  were  touched ;  for  there 
were  in  her  bosom  no  fine  chords  to  be  touched. 

Frances's  story  may  be  told  in  a  few  words.  The 
party  which  had  conducted  the  attack  against  her 
father's  house  was  composed  of  Delawares.  With 
this  tribe  she  remained  until  grown  up,  when  she 
married  one  of  their  chiefs.  He  died  or  ran  away, 
when  she  became  united  to  a  Miami.  She  had  two 
daughters,  both  of  whom  grew  up  and  married  In- 
dians. They  all  lived  in  one  cabin,  rode  the  same 
horses,  and  at  night  slept  in  the  same  manner — which 
was  on  the  ground,  wrapped  in  a  blanket. 

The  brothers  and  sister  tried  to  persuade  their  sis- 
ter to  return  with  them,  and,  if  she  desired  it,  to  bring 
her  children.  They  offered  to  give  her  a  happy  home 
on  the  banks  of  the  Susquehanna.  She  answered 
that  she  had  always  lived  with  the  Indians;  that 
they  had  always  been  kind  to  her ;  that  she  had  pro- 
mised her  late  husband,  on  his  death-bed,  never  to 
leave  them,  and  that  promise  she  was  resolved  to 
keep.  Sad  and  sorrowful  the  three  generous  relatives 
retraced  their  steps,  leaving  their  sister  in  the  wilder- 
ness. 

The  "Indian  sister"  died  in  1847.  Although  to 
her  last  days,  her  manners  and  customs  were  those 
of  the  Indian,  yet  there  was  something  in  her  appear- 
ance which  seemed  to  raise  her  above  her  companions. 
Her  household  displayed  taste  and  neatness,  and  ow- 
ing to  her  economy  in  her  domestic  affairs,  her  tent 


232 


THRILLING  ADVENTURES. 


was  always  stocked  with  plenty.  She  was  admired 
alike  by  the  red  and  the  white  man.  Her  grave  is 
on  a  beautiful  knoll  near  the  confluence  of  the  Mis- 
sissinewa  with  the  Wabash, — a  spot  chosen  by  her- 
self, and  which  had  been  her  place  of  residence  for 
thirty  years. 


DISASTER    OF    MISSOURI    TRADERS. 


233 


SANTA    FE,    NEW    MEXICO. 


In  December,  1832,  twelve  missionaries  left  Santa 
Fe,  and  proceeded  by  way  of  the  Canadian  river  to- 
ward Independence.  Their  mules  were  laden  with 
about  ten  thousand  dollars  in  specie.  On  reaching 
the  river,  they  beheld  a  large  party  of  Camanche 
and  Kiawa  Indians  approaching.  Both  parties  halt- 
ed, and  the  traders,  while  eyeing  their  antagonists, 
prepared  for  defence.  Instead  of  charging,  the  In- 
dians approached,  one  by  one,  in  the  most  friendly 
manner,  and  stationed  themselves  so  as  to  surround 
the  traders.  The  latter,  becoming  alarmed,  moved 
forward  with  some  speed,  at  which  the  Camanches 


30 


v2 


234  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

mounted  their  horses  and  quietly  jogged  on  after 
them.  After  both  parties  had  proceeded  a  short  dis- 
tance, two  mules  suddenly  started  from  the  others 
and  trotted  toward  the  river.  One  of  the  mission- 
aries, named  Pratt,  went  to  bring  them  back.  At 
that  moment  the  work  of  death  began.  Pratt  was 
shot  dead ;  and,  as  he  fell,  every  Indian  rushed  for- 
ward toward  the  little  band.  The  traders  leaped 
from  their  horses  and  poured  in  a  volley  upon  the  as- 
sailants, which  drove  them  to  their  former  position. 
Another  of  their  number  had  fallen ;  but  they  took 
advantage  of  the  Indians'  repulse  to  form  a  barricade 
with  the  packs  of  their  mules.  Behind  this  they 
scratched  a  trench  with  their  hands,  which  protected 
them  from  their  enemies'  fire.  The  Camanches  made 
several  charges ;  but  they  were  each  time  repulsed, 
although  in  a  short  time  all  the  mules  and  horses  be- 
longing to  the  party  were  killed  or  wounded.  Thua 
foiled,  the  Indians  changed  their  tactics,  and  convert 
ed  the  assault  into  a  siege.  The  situation  of  the  ten 
traders  was  now  deplorable.  Food  they  could  obtain 
from  the  slain  animals;  but  they  were  on  a  dry, 
sandy  spot,  destitute  of  water,  and  deprived  of  every 
means  of  obtaining  it.  To  die  by  thirst  was  more 
dreadful  than  the  certainty  of  death  by  the  Indians, 
and,  after  remaining  thirty-six  hours  in  a  state  of 
siege,  they  resolved  upon  a  sortie  by  night.  The 
animals  being  killed,  it  was  impossible  to  carry  away 
all  the  money.  Each  man,  therefore,  took  as  much 
as  he  could  carry,  and  the  remainder  was  buried. 
Then  the  little  party  emerged  silently  from   their 


DISASTER   OF    MISSOURI   TRADERS.  235 

hiding-place,  passed  through  the  lines  of  the  sleeping 
savages,  and  hurried  on  their  march.  At  every  step 
they  expected  to  hear  the  heavy  sound  of  pursuit ; 
but  what  must  appear  most  extraordinary,  they  saw 
no  more  of  the  Camanches. 

But  the  sufferings  of  these  men  were  not  yet  at  an  end. 
Their  provisions  and  ammunition  gradually  wasted. 
For  a  while  they  sustained  themselves  upon  bark  and 
roots.  Their  feet  were  burnt  and  torn  by  the  heated 
sands  or  rocks,  and,  finally,  they  lost  their  route.  Dis- 
putes ensued :  five  took  one  direction  and  five  another. 
After  enduring  intense  sufferings,  one  of  these  parties 
arrived  among  the  Creek  settlements  on  the  Arkansas 
river,  where  they  were  kindly  received  and  nursed 
until  they  had  recovered.  Of  the  other  five,  three  found 
graves  in  the  wilderness.  The  remaining  two,  after 
enduring  intense  sufferings,  succeeded  in  reaching  the 
United  States.  Of  course,  all  their  money  had  been 
abandoned  along  the  way,  and  it  was  afterwards  ascer- 
tained that  the  Camanches  had  dug  up  the  portion 
which  was  buried. 


236 


THRILLING    ADVENTURES, 


THE     MOOSE. 


The  Moose*  {Cervus  alces)  inhabits  the  northern 
parts  of  the  continents  of  Europe  and  America.  On 
the  American  it  has  been  found  as  far  north  as  that 
country  has  been  fully  explored ;  its  southern  range 
once  extended  to  the  shores  of  the  great  lakes,  and 
throughout  the  New  England  States.  At  present 
it  is  not  heard  of  south  of  the  State  of  Maine,  where 
it  is  becoming  rare. 


*  It  is  in  Europe  frequently  called  the  Elk;  but  the  elk,  (^Cervus 
Canadensis^  red  deer,  wapiti,  or  stag,  is  distinguished  from  the 
moose  by  the  most  striking  characters. 


HUNTING   THE    MOOSE.  237 

The  male  moose  often  exceeds  the  largest  horse  in 
size ;  the  females  are  considerably  smaller,  and  differ- 
ently coloured.  The  hair  of  the  male  is  long  and 
soft ;  it  is  black  at  the  tip,  within  it  is  of  an  ash 
colour,  and  at  the  base  pure  white.  The  hair  of  the 
female  is  of  a  sandy-brown  colour,  and  in  some  places, 
particularly  under  the  throat  and  belly,  it  is  nearly 
white  at  the  tip,  and  altogether  so  at  the  base. 

Dense  forests  and  closely  shaded  swamps  are  the 
favourite  resorts  of  these  animals,  as  there  the  most 
abundant  supply  of  food  is  to  be  obtained  with  the 
least  inconvenience.  The  length  of  limb  and  short- 
ness of  neck,  which  in  an  open  pasture  appear  so  dis- 
advantageous, are  here  of  essential  importance,  in 
enabling  the  moose  to  crop  the  buds  and  young  twigs 
of  the  birch,  maple,  or  poplar;  or,  should  he  prefer 
the  aquatic  plants  which  grow  most  luxuriantly 
where  the  soil  is  unfit  to  support  other  animals,  the 
same  length  of  limb  enables  him  to  feed  with  security 
and  ease.  When  obliged  to  feed  on  level  ground,  the 
animal  must  either  kneel  or  separate  his  fore  legs 
very  widely.  In  feeding  on  the  sides  of  acclivities, 
the  moose  does  so  with  less  inconvenience,  by  grazing 
from  below  upwards,  and  the  steeper  the  ground  the 
easier  it  is  for  him  to  pasture.  Yet,  whenever  food 
can  be  procured  from  trees  and  shrubs,  it  is  preferred 
to  that  which  is  only  to  be  obtained  by  grazing. 

In  the  summer,  the  moose  frequents  swampy  or 
low  grounds,  near  the  margins  of  lakes  and  rivers, 
through  which  they  delight  to  swim,  as  it  frees  them 
for  the  time  from  the  annoyance  of  insects.    They 


238  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

are  also  seen  wading  out  from  the  shores,  for  the  pur- 
pose of  feeding  on  the  aquatic  plants  that  rise  to  the 
surface  of  the  water.  At  this  season  they  regularly 
frequent  the  same  place  in  order  to  drink,  of  which 
circumstance  the  Indian  hunter  takes  advantage  to 
lie  in  ambush,  and  secure  the  destruction  of  the  deer. 
During  the  winter,  the  moose,  in  families  of  fifteen  or 
twenty,  seek  the  depths  of  the  forest  for  shelter  and 
food. 

The  moose  is  generally  hunted  in  the  month  of 
March,  when  the  snow  is  deep  and  sufficiently  crusted 
with  ice  to  bear  the  weight  of  a  dog,  but  not  of  a 
moose.  Five  or  six  Indians,  provided  with  knapsacks 
and  snow-shoes,  containing  food  for  about  a  week,  and 
all  necessary  implements  for  making  their  "camp" 
at  night,  set  out  in  search  of  a  moose  yard.  When 
they  have  discovered  one,  they  collect  their  dogs  and 
encamp  for  the  night,  in  order  to  be  ready  to  com- 
mence the  chase  at  an  early  hour,  before  the  sun 
softens  the  crust  upon  the  snow,  which  would  retard 
the  dogs  and  facilitate  the  escape  of  the  deer.  At 
daybreak  the  dogs  are  laid  on,  and  the  hunters,  wear- 
ing large  snow-shoes,  follow  as  closely  as  possible.  As 
soon  as  the  dogs  approach  a  moose,  they  assail  him 
on  all  sides,  and  force  him  to  attempt  his  escape  by 
flight.  The  deer,  however,  does  not  run  far,  before 
the  crust  on  the  snow,  through  which  he  breaks  at 
every  step,  cuts  his  legs  so  severely  that  the  poor  ani- 
mal stands  at  bay,  and  endeavours  to  defend  himself 
against  the  dogs  by  striking  at  them  with  his  fore- 
feet.    The  arrival  of  the  hunter  within  a  convenient 


HUNTING   THE    MOOSE.  241 

distance  soon  terminates  the  combat,  as  a  ball  from 
his  rifle  rarely  fails  to  bring  the  moose  down. 

I  will  now  close  the  account  of  the  moose  with  an 
anecdote  I  once  heard  of  a  hunter. 

The  hounds  had  been  put  into  the  woods  for  the 
purpose  of  scenting  a  deer — a  business  with  which 
they  were  well  acquainted,  whilst  the  hunter  placed 
himself  in  a  convenient  spot,  suitably  near  the  deer's 
run-away^  so  as  to  be  able  to  bring  it  down  at  a  shot, 
as  it  fled  at  the  noise  of  the  dogs  from  the  mountain 
to  the  river.  The  spot  he  selected  to  wait  in  ambush 
was  on  a  certain  flat,  very  near  the  foot  of  the  steep 
hill.  This  flat  was  about  three-quarters  of  a  mile  in 
length  :  at  one  end  was  the  hill  by  which  our  hunter 
stood ;  at  the  other,  a  steep  bank  along  the  edge  of 
the  river.  The  hunter  had  chosen  his  position  well ; 
he  had  narrowly  examined  the  contents  of  his  rifle, 
and  made  sure  that  the  priming  was  in  good  order ; 
he  had  rubbed  the  edge  of  the  flint  on  his  hat  to 
make  it  brighter — all  was  in  readiness,  and  he  stood 
in  a  listening  attitude,  with  his  ear  turned  towards 
the  hill,  and  his  mouth  slightly  open  to  assist  his 
hearing. 

He  had  not  waited  in  his  hiding-place  long,  when 
the  distant  cry  of  the  hounds  struck  his  ear.  He 
now  knew  that  but  a  few  minutes  would  pass  before 
a  deer  would  be  seen  bounding  along  in  the  path  of 
their  run-away^  for  his  dogs  had  given  tokens  of  the 
chase  by  their  yells.  He  was  not  deceived ;  he  heard 
plainly  the  rapid,  but  heavy  bounds  of  a  deer,  which 
in  an  instant  after  he  perceived,  as  it  broke  over  the 

31  X 


242  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

brow  of  the  hill,  with  its  majestic  antlers  thrown 
back  over  its  neck.  Now  comes  the  decisive  moment; 
one  leap  more  and  his  noble  breast  is  exposed  to 
death,  within  a  few  yards  of  the  fatal  gun  which  has 
already  been  brought  to  the  hunter's  cheek,  while  his 
eye  looked  steadily  along  the  smooth  barrel.  The 
trigger  was  touched — a  blaze,  and  the  death-ring 
struck  sharp  and  shrill  on  the  still  air.  The  fugitive, 
a  noble  buck,  fell,  and  the  hunter,  in  a  moment,  to 
secure  his  victim,  having  dropped  his  gun  and  drawn 
his  knife,  sprung  across  his  back  in  order  to  cut  his 
throat. 

But,  behold !  the  ball  had  struck  one  of  his  horns 
only  near  the  root,  which  stunned  the  animal  and 
caused  it  to  fall.  He  recovered  his  feet  again  before 
the  hunter  had  time  to  wound  him  with  his  knife, 
and,  finding  his  enemy  on  his  back,  he  rose  and 
sprung  off  with  the  speed  of  an  arrow ;  while  the 
hunter,  having  full  occupation  for  his  hands  in  hold- 
ing fast  by  the  horns,  found  no  time  to  invade  his 
throat.  So,  clinging  with  his  feet  under  the  belly  of 
the  deer,  he  was  borne  away  at  a  fearful  rate  the 
whole  length  of  the  flat,  till  he  came  to  the  steep 
bank  of  the  river,  at  which  place  he  had  no  sooner 
arrived,  than,  with  his  rider,  the  deer  plunged  with  a 
tremendous  leap  into  the  deep  water. 

Here  a  scuffle  ensued  between  the  hunter  and  the 
deer ;  the  deer  endeavouring  to  push  him  under  wa- 
ter with  his  fore-feet,  while  the  hunter  was  striving 
to  hold  its'  head,  and  at  the  same  time  cut  its  throat. 
This  he  soon  accomplished,  and,  swimming  ashore, 


THE    RIFLEMAN    OF    CHIPPEWA.  243 

drew  his  prize  after  him,  declaring  to  his  companions, 
who  had  witnessed  the  sport,  and  were  now  assem- 
bled on  the  river's  bank,  that  he  had  had  "  a  most 
glorious  ride." 

This  man's  name  was  John  M^Mullen,  and  he  is 
well  remembered  even  now  by  many  of  the  old  inha- 
bitants along  the  Susquehanna. 


The  Chippewas  are  a  numerous  people  inhabiting 
the  country  north  of  Lake  Superior,  and  about  the 
source  of  the  Mississippi.  They  are  divided  into 
several  tribes,  and  are  distinguished  by  the  number 
of  blue  or  black  lines  tattooed  on  their  cheeks  and 
foreheads. 

Travellers  have  always  described  them  as  "the 
most  peaceable  tribes  of  Indians  known  in  North 
America."  They  are  not  ren  arkable  for  their  activity 
as  hunters,  and  this  no  doubt  is  owing  to  the  ease  with 
which  they  can  procure  both  game  and  fish. 

In  their  pursuit  of  deer,  they  sometimes  drive  them 
into  the  small  lakes,  and  then  spear  them  from  their 
canoes ;  or  shoot  them  with  the  bow  and  arrow,  after 
having  driven  them  into  enclosures  constructed  for 
the  purpose.  Snares  made  of  deer  sinews,  too,  are 
frequently  used  for  catching  both  large  and  small 
game :  and  as  these  occupations  are  not  beyond  the 
strength  of  the  old  men  and  boys,  they  take  a  share 


244  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

in  these  toils,  which  among  most  of  the  tribes  are 
left  exclusively  to  the  squaws. 

In  person,  the  Chippewas  are  not  remarkable  ;  they 
are  generally  robust,  their  complexions  swarthy,  their 
features  broad,  and  their  hair  straight  and  black, 
which  is  the  case  in  most  of  the  Indian  tribes.  But 
they  have  not  that  piercing  eye,  which  so  generally 
animates  the  Indian  countenance. 

The  aspect  of  the  women  is  more  agreeable  than 
that  of  the  men;  they  wear  their  hair  of  a  great 
length,  and  pay  much  attention  to  its  arrangement, 
greasing  it  with  bear's  oil,  and  plaiting  it  with  con- 
siderable taste. 

They  appear  to  be  more  attentive  to  the  comforts 
of  dress,  and  less  anxious  about  its  exterior,  than 
some  of  their  red  brethren.  Deer  and  fawn  skins, 
dressed  with  the  hair  on,  so  skilfully  that  tl^ey  are 
perfectly  supple,  compose  their  shirt  or  coat,  which 
is  girt  round  the  waist  with  a  belt,  and  reaches  half 
way  down  the  thigh.  Their  moccasins  and  leggins 
are  generally  sewn  toget^  ler,  and  the  latter  meet  the 
belt  to  which  they  are  fastened.  A  ruff  or  tippet 
surrounds  the  neck,  and  the  skin  of  the  deer's  head 
is  formed  into  a  curious  sort  of  cap. 

j^  robe  made  of  several  deer  skins  sewn  together  is 
thrown  over  the  whole ;  this  dress  is  sometimes  worn 
single,  but  in  winter  it  is  always  made  double,  the 
hair  forming  both  the  lining  and  the  outside. 

Thus  attired,  a  Chippewa  will  lay  himself  down  on 
the  snow  and  repose  in  comfort;  and  if  in  his  wan- 
derings across  the  numerous  lakes  with  which  his 


THE    RIFLEMAN    OF    CHIPPEWA.  245 

country  abounds,  he  should  fall  short  of  provision,  he 
has  only  to  cut  a  hole  in  the  ice,  when  he  seldom 
fails  of  taking  a  black-fish,  or  a  bass,  which  he  broils 
over  his  little  wood  fire  with  as  much  skill  as  a 
French  cook. 

At  the  time  of  the  French  and  Indian  wars,  the 
American  army  was  encamped  on  the  Plains  of  Chip- 
pewa.    Colonel  St.  Clair,  the  commander,  was  a  brave 


COLONEL,    AFTERWAED8    GENERAL    ST.    CLAIR. 

and  meritorious  officer,  but  his  bravery  sometimes 
amounted  to  rashness,  and  his  enemies  have  accused 
him  of  indiscretion.  In  the  present  instance  perhaps 
he  may  have  merited  the  accusation,  for  the  plain  on 
which  he  had  encamped  was  bordered  by  a  dense 
forest,  from  which  the  Indian  scouts  could  easily  pick 
ofi"  his  sentinels  without  in  the  least  exposing  them- 
selves to  danger. 

Five  nights  had  passed,  and  every  night  the  sen- 
tinel who  stood  at  a  lonely  out-post  in  the  vicinity  of 
the  forest  had  been  shot ;  and  these  repeated  disasters 
struck   such  dread   among  the   remaining  soldiers, 

x2 


246  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

that  no  one  would  come  forward  to  offer  to  take  th( 
post,  and  the  commander,  knowing  it  was  only  throw 
ing  away  men's  lives,  let  it  stand  for  a  few  nights  un 
occupied. 

At  length  a  rifleman  of  the  Virginian  corps  vo- 
lunteered his  services  for  this  dangerous  duty;  he 
laughed  at  the  fears  of  his  companions,  and  told  them 
he  meant  to  return  safe  and  drink  his  commander's 
health  in  the  morning.  The  guard  marched  up  soon 
after,  and  he  shouldered  his  rifle  and  fell  in.  He 
arrived  at  the  place  which  had  been  so  fatal  to  his 
comrades,  and  bidding  his  fellow  soldiers  "good 
night,"  assumed  the  duties  of  his  post.  The  night 
was  dark,  thick  clouds  overspread  the  firmament,  and 
hardly  a  star  could  be  seen  by  the  sentinel  as  he  paced 
his  lonely  walk.  All  was  silent  except  the  gradually 
retreating  footsteps  of  the  guard :  he  marched  onwards, 
then  stopped  and  listened  till  he  thought  he  heard 
the  joyful  sound  of  "  All's  well" — then  all  was  still, 
and  he  sat  down  on  a  fallen  tree  and  began  to  muse. 
Presently  a  low  rustling  among  the  bushes  caught  his 
ear ;  he  gazed  intently  towards  the  spot  whence  the 
sound  seemed  to  proceed,  but  he  could  see  nothing 
save  the  impenetrable  gloom  of  the  forest.  The  sound 
drew  nearer,  and  a  well-known  grunt  informed  him 
of  the  approach  of  a  bear.  The  animal  passed  the 
soldier  slowly,  and  then  quietly  sought  the  thicket  to 
the  left.  At  this  moment  the  moon  shone  out  bright 
through  the  parting  clouds,  and  the  wary  soldier  per- 
ceived the  ornamented  moccasin  of  a  savage  on  what 
an  instant  before  he  believed  to  be  a  bear !     He  could 


I 


THE    RIFLEMAN   OF    CHIPPEWA.  24l 

have  shot  him  in  a  moment,  but  he  knew  not  how 
many  other  such  animals  might  be  at  hand  ;  he  there- 
fore refrained,  and  having  perfect  knowledge  of  Indian 
subtiltj,  he  quickly  took  off  his  hat  and  coat,  hung 
them  on  a  branch  of  the  fallen  tree,  grasped  his  rifle, 
and  silently  crept  towards  the  thicket.  He  had 
barely  reached  it,  when  an  arrow,  whizzing  past  his 
head,  told  him  of  the  danger  he  had  so  narrowly 
escaped. 

He  looked  carefully  round  him,  and  on  a  little  spot 
of  cleared  land  he  counted  twelve  Indians,  some  sit- 
ting, some  lying  full  length  on  the  thickly  strewn 
leaves  of  the  forest.  Believing  that  they  had  already 
shot  the  sentinel,  and  little  thinking  there  was  any 
one  within  hearing,  they  were  quite  off  their  guard, 
and  conversed  aloud  about  their  plans  for  the  morrow. 

It  appeared  that  a  council  of  twelve  chiefs  was 
now  held,  in  which  they  gravely  deliberated  on  the 
most  effectual  means  of  annoying  the  enemy.  It  was 
decided  that  the  next  evening  forty  of  their  warriors 
should  be  in  readiness  at  the  hour  when  the  sentinel 
should  be  left  by  his  comrades,  and  that  when  they 
had  retired  a  few  paces,  an  arrow  should  silence  him 
for  ever,  and  they  would  then  rush  on  and  massacre 
the  guard. 

This  being  concluded,  they  rose,  and  drawing  the 
numerous  folds  of  their  ample  robes  closer  round 
them,  they  marched  off  in  Indian  file*  through  the 

*  One  behind  the  other,  and  every  man  in  succession  setting  his 
foot  exa/ztly  in  the  track  of  the  leader,  so  that  whether  there  are  fifty 
men,  or  only  one,  cannot  be  discovered  by  their  footsteps. 
32 


250  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

gloomy  foresty  seeking  some  more  distant  spot,  where 
the  smoke  of  their  nightly  fire  would  not  be  observed 
by  the  white  men. 

The  sentinel  rose  from  his  hiding-place  and  returned 
to  his  post,  and  taking  down  his  hat,  found  that  an 
arrow  had  passed  clean  through  it.  He  then  wrapt 
himself  in  his  watch-coat,  and  returned  immediately 
to  the  camp;  and  without  any  delay  demanded  to 
speak  to  the  commander,  saying  that  he  had  some- 
thing important  to  communicate. 

He  was  admitted,  and  when  he  had  told  all  that  he 
had  seen  and  heard,  the  Colonel  bestowed  on  him  the 
commission  of  lieutenant  of  the  Virginia  corps,  which 
had  been  made  vacant  by  the  death  of  one  of  his 
unfortunate  comrades  a  few  nights  back,  and  ordered 
him  to  be  ready  with  a  picket  guard,  to  march  an 
hour  earlier  than  usual  to  the  fatal  out-post,  there  to 
place  a  hat  and  coat  on  the  branches,  and  then  lie 
in  ambush  for  the  intruders. 

The  following  evening,  according  to  the  orders 
given  by  Colonel  St.  Clair,  a  detachment  of  forty 
riflemen,  with  Lieutenant  Morgan  at  their  head, 
marched  from  the  camp  at  half-past  seven  in  the  eve- 
ning towards  the  appointed  spot,  and  having  arranged 
the  hat  and  coat  so  as  to  have  the  appearance  of  a 
soldier  standing  on  guard,  they  stole  silently  away  and 
hid  themselves  among  the  bushes. 

Here  they  lay  for  almost  an  hour  before  any  signs 
of  approaching  Indians  were  heard.  The  night  was 
cold  and  still,  and  the  rising  moon  shone  forth  in  all 
her  beauty.     The  men  were  becoming  impatient  of 


THE    RIFLEMAN    OF    CHIPPEWA. 


251 


GENEBAL   UOBaAN. 


their  uncomfortable  situation,  for  their  clothes  were 
not  so  well  adapted  to  a  bed  of  snow  as  the  deer-skin 
robes  of  the  hardy  Chippewas. 

"  Silence  !"  whispered  Lieutenant  Morgan — "  I 
hear  the  rustling  of  the  leaves." 

Presently  a  bear  of  the  same  description  as  had 
been  seen  the  night  before,  passed  near  the  ambush ; 
it  crept  to  the  edge  of  the  plain — reconnoitred — saw 
the  sentinel  at  his  post — retired  towards  the  forest  a 
few  paces,  and  then,  suddenly  rising  on  his  feet,  let 
fly  an  arrow  which  brought  the  sham  sentinel  to  the 


252  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

ground.  So  impatient  were  the  Virginians  to  avenge 
the  death  of  their  comrades,  that  they  could  scarcely 
wait  till  the  lieutenant  gave  the  word  of  command  to 
fire — then  they  rose  in  a  body,  and  before  the  Chip- 
pewas  had  time  to  draw  their  arrows  or  seize  their 
tomahawks,  more  than  half  their  number  lay  dead 
upon  the  plain.  The  rest  fled  to  the  forest,  but  the 
riflemen  fired  again,  and  killed  or  wounded  several 
more  of  the  enemy.  They  then  returned  in  triumph 
to  relate  their  exploits  in  the  camp. 

Ten  chiefs  fell  that  night,  and  their  fall  was,  un- 
doubtedly, one  principal  cause  of  the  French  and  In- 
dian wars  with  the  English. 

Lieutenant  Morgan  rose  to  be  a  captain,  and  at 
the  termination  of  the  war  returned  home,  and  lived 
on  his  own  farm  till  the  breaking  out  of  the  American 
war.  And  then,  at  the  head  of  a  corps  of  Virginia 
riflemen,  appeared  our  hero,  the  brave  and  gallant 
Colonel  Morgan,  better  known  by  the  title  of  General, 
which  he  soon  acquired  by  his  courage  and  ability. 


I 


THE    INDIAN    AND    THE    WILD    TURKEY.  253 


WILD    TURKEY. 


®|jj  JnWn  mh  t|^  Silil^  Juries. 

The  male  bird  of  the  wild  turkey,  or  gobbler,  is  a 
noble  bird,  and  his  plumage  is  resplendent  with  tl  e 
brightest  gold-tinged  bronze,  varying,  as  he  changis 
position,  to  blue,  violet,  and  green.  Each  feather  is 
terminated  with  a  deep  black  band,  and  has  also  a 
bronze  or  copper-coloured  lustre.  The  feathers  from 
the  tail  make  excellent  wings  for  "hare's  ears," 
and  "deep  purple"  artificial  flies  are  quite  as  good 

Y 


254  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

as  the  mallard's  coat,  and  infinitely  better  than  those 
of  the  domestic  bird  used  for  the  same  purpose. 

The  wild  turkey-cock  has  a  long  pendent  tuft  of 
hair  on  its  breast.  This,  as  well  as  the  carnucles 
about  the  head  and  neck,  comes  to  perfection  and  ar- 
rives at  the  greatest  size  and  length  in  the  third  year. 
Audubon  says,  that  from  fifteen  to  eighteen  pounds 
may  be  taken  as  a  fair  average  of  their  weight;  but 
that  he  once  saw  a  gobbler  in  the  Louisville  market 
which  weighed  thirty-six  pounds,  and  the  tuft  of  hair 
on  the  breast  measured  upwards  of  a  foot.  Bona- 
parte confirms  this  account,  and  remarks  that  birds 
of  thirty  pounds  are  not  rare. 

The  wild  turkey,  however  he  may  be  surprised 
when  feeding  in  patches  of  maize  or  buckwheat  in 
the  clearance,  is  the  most  difficult  bird  possible  to  find 
in  the  woods,  as  they  run  with  great  swiftness,  and 
are  most  watchful.  They  are  bad  flyers,  and  for  that 
reason  go  up  to  the  tops  of  the  highest  trees  before 
they  will  attempt  the  passage  of  rivers  of  no  great 
width ;  and  even  then  the  weakest  birds  are  often 
sacrificed  in  the  attempt.  The  lumberers  on  the 
Mississippi,  Ohio,  and  other  broad  streams,  are  so 
well  aware  of  their  proceedings,  that,  when  they 
hear  the  row,  the  strutting,  the  gobbling,  and  all 
the  other  devices  practised  by  the  oldest  birds  to 
instil  courage  into  the  funking  part  of  the  commu- 
nity, they  take  up  a  position  in  the  neighbourhood, 
and,  so  soon  as  the  turkeys  make  up  their  mind,  and 
have  screwed  their  courage  up  for  a  start,  they  con- 
trive to  bag  great  quantities  which  have  fallen  into 


THE    INDIAN    AND    THE    WILD    TURKEY.  255 

the  water.  After  mounting  the  highest  trees  they 
can  find,  they  stretch  out  their  necks  once  or  twice, 
as  if  to  take  breath ;  and,  at  a  given  signal,  all  start 
together  for  the  nearest  point  on  the  opposite  side, 
descending  constantly  until  they  reach  it. 

In  the  love-making  season,  there  is  no  end  to  the 
strutting  and  puffing  of  the  male,  for  the  purpose  of 
.winning  the  admiration  of  his  mate ;  and  his  splen- 
did tail  is  then  spread  in  the  form  of  a  fan — a  habit 
pursued  on  the  same  occasion  both  by  the  ruffed  and 
pinnated  species  of  grouse.  After  the  season  of  in- 
cubation, the  males  cease  to  gobble,  and  are  easily 
killed ;  but  at  this  time  they  are  of  no  value,  being 
meagre  and  covered  with  vermin.  In  the  breeding 
season,  however,  they  are  often  decoyed  within  shot, 
by  blowing  through  the  large  bone  of  the  turkey's 
wing,  cut  off  at  one  end,  and  which,  if  skilfully  per- 
formed, produces  exactly  the  plaintive  sound  of  the 
female.  When  this  practice  is  followed,  the  hunter 
proceeds  cautiously  anil  alone,  and  places  himself 
under  "  a  roost."  As  the  light  appears,  he  may  find 
himself  directly  under  a  flock  of  turkeys ;  but,  if  not, 
he  must  wait  until  he  hears  the  gobble.  Then,  says 
a  Yankee  writer,  in  "  The  Spirit  of  the  Times,"*  the 
first  sound  from  the  old  gobblers  the  hunter  answers 
by  the  plaintive  note  of  the  female,  and  the  male  bird 
is  ready  to  search  out  a  mistress  with  becoming  gal- 
lantry. "  Pup,  pup,"  lisps  the  hunter ;  "  Gobble, 
gobble,"  utters  the  proud  bird ;  and  here  the  interest 
of  the  hunt  commences.     Then  is  to  be   seen  the 

*  The  "Bell's  Life"  of  the  New  World,  published  in  New  York. 


256  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

alluring  on  of  the  gobbler,  his  strutting  and  prancings, 
and  a  thousand  gallant  airs,  for  his  lady-love.  Anon 
his  suspicions  get  the  better  of  his  love,  and  the 
coward  is  plainly  visible  in.  his  suddenly  contracted 
body  and  air  of  ready  flight.  The  hunter  warily 
plies  his  music,  and  the  bird  comes  on,  until  the  sure 
rifle  finds  the  beautiful  bird  in  its  range.  This,  how- 
ever, requires  to  be  practised  with  skill,  for  the  cau- 
tiousness of  the  wild  turkey  is  wonderful,  surpassing 
that  of  the  deer  or  any  other  game  whatever ;  and 
nothing  but  stratagem  and  the  most  intimate  know- 
ledge of  its  habits  will  command  success. 

"  We  once  knew  an  Indian,"  says  the  above-quoted 
writer,  "  who  gained  a  living  by  bringing  game  into  a 
town  in  the  West,  who  always  boasted  exceedingly 
if  he  could  add  a  wild  turkey  to  his  common  load  of 
deer;  and,  as  the  dena^nd  for  birds  was  greater  than 
he  could  supply,  he  was  taunted  by  the  disappointed 
epicures  of  the  village  for  want  of  skill  in  hunting. 
To  this  charge  he  would  always  reply  with  great  in- 
dignation, saying  that  the  quality  of  venison  which 
he  brought  to  market  was  sufiicient  proof  of  his  be- 
ing a  good  hunter.  '  Look  here,*  he  would  angrily 
say;  'I  see  deer  on  the  prairie;  deer  look  up  and 
say.  May  be  Indian,  may  be  stump,  and  deer  eats  on. 
Come  little  nearer,  deer  look  up  again  and  say.  May 
be  Indian,  may  be  stump ;  and  first  thing  deer  knows 
he  dead.  I  see  wild  turkey  great  way  ofi*;  creep  up 
very  slowly ;  turkey  look  up  and  say  first  time  he 
see  me,  Dat  rascal  Indian  any  how,  and  off  he  goes. 
No  catch  turkey ;  he  cunning  too  much'  " 


k 


THE    INDIAN   AND    THE   BEAR.  259 


®|j^  InUm  mh  fte  Bear* 

The  animal  fell,  and  set  up  a  most  plaintive  cry — 
something  like  that  of  the  panther  when  he  is  hun- 
gry. The  hunter,  instead  of  giving  him  another  shot, 
stood  up  close  to  him,  and  addressed  him  in  these 
words  : — "  Harkee,  bear !  you  are  a  coward,  and  no 
warrior,  as  you  pretend  to  be.  Were  you  a  warrior, 
you  would  show  it  by  your  firmness,  and  not  cry  and 
whimper  like  an  old  woman.  You  know,  bear,  that 
our  tribes  are  at  war  with  each  other,  and  that  yours 
was  the  aggressor.  You  have  found  the  Indians  too 
powerful  for  you,  and  you  have  gone  sneaking  about 
in  the  woods,  stealing  their  hogs ;  perhaps  at  this 
time  you  have  hog's  flesh  in  your  belly.  Had  you 
conquered  me,  I  would  have  borne  it  with  courage 
and  died  like  a  brave  warrior.  But  you,  bear,  sit 
here  and  cry,  and  disgrace  your  tribe  by  your  cow- 
ardly conduct." 

I  was  present  at  the  delivery  of  this  curious  invec- 
tive. When  the  hunter  had  despatched  the  bear,  I 
asked  him  how  he  thought  the  poor  animal  could  un- 
derstand what  he  said  to  it.  "Oh,"  said  he,  in 
answer,  "  the  bear  understood  me  very  well.  Did  not 
you  observe  how  ashamed  he  looked  while  I  was 
upbraiding  him  ?" 


260  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 


On  the  29th  of  August,  1708,  this  unfortunate  vil- 
lage, then  consisting  of  about  thirty  houses,  was  at- 
tacked by  a  party  of  French  and  Indians.  At  break 
of  day  the  inhabitants  aroused  themselves  just  in 
time  to  find  that  the  enemy  were  upon  them.  A 
Mrs.  Smith  was  the  first  victim.  She  was  shot  while 
fleeing  from  her  house  to  a  neighbouring  garrison. 
The  foremost  party  then  attacked  the  house  of  the 
Eev.  Benjamin  Eolfe,  which  was  then  garrisoned  by 
three  soldiers.  Leaping  from  the  bed,  he  placed  him- 
self against  the  door,  and  called  to  the  soldiers,  who 
were  in  an  opposite  room,  for  assistance.  This  manly 
garrison,  after  closing  the  intervening  door,  answered 
by  running  through  the  rooms  wringing  their  hands. 
The  Indians  then  fired  two  balls  through  the  door, 
one  of  which  wounded  Kolfe  in  the  elbow.  They 
then  pressed  against  it  with  united  strength;  and, 
finding  his  efforts  useless,  he  rushed  precipitately 
through  the  house  and  out  at  the  back  door.  He  was 
pursued,  overtaken,  and  tomahawked.  The  house 
was  then  plundered.  Mrs.  Rolfe  was  found  and  mur- 
dered ;  while  the  youngest  child,  torn  from  her  dying 
grasp,  was  dashed  against  a  stone.  A  female  slave, 
named  Hagar,  leaped  from  her  bed,  carried  two  of  the 
children,  one  six,  the  other  eight  years  old,  to  the 
cellar,  and  covered  them  with  tubs.  She  then  hid 
herself  behind  a  barrel.  The  Indians  entered  the 
cellar,  plundered  it  of  every  thing  valuable,  passed 


Attack  on  Haverhill. 


li 


ATTACK    ON    HAVERHILL.  263 

and  repassed  the  tubs,  took  meat  from  the  barrel,  and 
drank  milk  from  the  pans ;  yet  the  children  and 
their  faithful  protectress  escaped  unnoticed.  A  girl 
named  Anna  Whittaker  concealed  herself  in  an  apple- 
chest  under  the  stairway,  and  escaped  unharmed. 
The  three  soldiers,  destitute  of  either  the  sagacity  or 
courage  of  slaves  and  children,  threw  themselves  in 
tears  before  the  Indians,  and  were  tomahawked. 

A  second  party  attacked  the  family  of  Thomas 
Hartshorne.  The  father.  Math  two  sons,  attempted 
to  escape,  but  were  immediately  shot  dead.  A  third 
son  was  tomahawked  at  the  door.  The  mother,  with 
all  her  younger  children,  was  now  alone.  With  asto- 
nishing presence  of  mind,  she  left  her  infant  in  a  bed 
in  the  garret,  lest  its  cries  might  defeat  her  plans, 
and  then  hurried  with  her  remaining  family  to  the 
cellar.  As  usual,  the  Indians  subjected  each  room  to 
a  rigid  scrutiny,  but  failed  to  find  the  mother.  Her 
infant  they  threw  out  of  the  garret  window.  When 
all  was  over,  it  was  found  on  a  pile  of  clap-boards, 
completely  stunned  by  the  fall.  It  lived,  however,  to 
become  a  man  of  uncommon  strength  and  stature,  a 
circumstance  which  gave  rise  to  the  joke  that  he  had 
been  stunted  by  the  Indians. 

Meanwhile,  similar  attacks  were  made  in  different 
parts  of  the  village.  Lieutenant  John  Johnson  was 
shot  w^hile  standing  in  the  door  with  his  wife.  She 
fled  through  the  house  into  the  garden,  carrying  her 
infant  with  her,  but  was  overtaken  and  murdered. 
Her  last  thoughts  were  those  of  a  mother :  in  the 
agonies  of  death  she  could  fall  so  as  to  cover  her 


264  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

child  with  her  body  without  hurting  it ;  and,  when 
the  massacre  was  over,  it  was  taken  unharmed  from 
her  cold  bosom.  The  wife  of  Captain  Samuel  Wain- 
wright  was  more  fortunate.  A  party  killed  her  hus- 
band at  the  first  fire.  Some  soldiers  in  the  house 
were  preparing  to  defend  it,  when  Mrs.  Wainwright 
fearlessly  unbarred  the  door  and  invited  the  Indians 
in.  The  kindness  displayed  in  her  voice  and  manner, 
and  the  alacrity  with  which  she  waited  upon  them, 
completely  paralyzed  the  Indians.  Entering  cau- 
tiously, they  refrained  from  violence ;  but,  after  some 
time,  asked  for  money.  She  retired  to  bring  it,  but 
did  not  return.  "We  must  admire  the  stratagem  of  a 
helpless  woman,  who  could  thus  amuse  the  infuriated 
murderers  of  her  husband,  until  the  whole  family  had 
had  time  to  escape.  The  money-beggars  were  not 
long  in  ascertaining  how  matters  stood,  and  their  rage 
and  disappointment  amounted  to  actual  fury.  Their 
efforts  to  force  a  way  into  the  soldiers  were,  however, 
vain;  and  after  attempting  to  fire  the  house,  they 
were  forced  to  retreat.  Two  of  their  number  were 
afterwards  killed  in  a  field. 

The  wife  of  Mr.  Swan  also  displayed  a  coolness 
and  courage  which  does  honour  to  her  sex.  When 
the  Indians  approached  the  house,  the  husband,  and 
wife  placed  themselves  against  the  door,  which  was 
80  narrow  that  two  could  scarcely  enter  abreast.  The 
assailants,  after  their  first  rush  had  failed,  changed 
their  tactics — one  placing  his  back  against  it  while 
the  other  pushed  him.  The  door  began  to  give  way, 
and   Mr.   Swan,  who  was   no  way  remarkable  for 


ATTACK    ON   HAVERHILL.  265 

strength,  and  still  less  for  heroism,  intimated  to  his 
wife  that  "  it  would  be  better  to  let  them  in."  She 
had  no  such  idea.  The  door  was  now  partially  open, 
the  front  Indian  crowding  himself  in,  and  the  other 
pushing  lustily  after;  but  the  woman,  seizing  her 
iron  spit,  which  was  nearly  three  feet  long,  drove  it 
through  the  body  of  the  foremost  foe.  At  so  un- 
looked-for a  welcome,  his  speed  suddenly  slackened  ; 
he  and  his  companion  left  hastily,  and  the  family  was 
saved. 

Another  Indian  party  set  fire  to  the  back  part  of 
the  meeting-house,  a  new  and  an  elegant  building. 
But  at  this  time  a  man,  named  Davis,  went  behind 
Kolfe's  barn,  which  was  near  the  church,  struck  it 
violently  with  a  large  club,  called  on  men  by  name, 
gave  the  word  of  command,  as  though  ordering  an 
attack,  and  shouted  with  a  loud  voice,  "Come  on; 
we  will  have  them."  The  party  in  Kolfe's  house  sup- 
posing the  military  had  come,  retired  precipitately; 
and,  about  the  same  time.  Major  Turner  arrived  with 
a  company  of  soldiers,  when  the  whole  body  of  In- 
dians commenced  a  disorderly  retreat.  They  did  not 
retire  unmolested.  Captain  Samuel  Ayer,  a  fearless 
man,  collected  a  small  party  and  pursued.  He  was 
soon  joined  by  a  similar  force  under  his  son,  and 
overtook  the  Indians  as  they  were  entering  the  woods. 
A  battle  ensued,  in  which  the  latter  were  defeated, 
and  several  of  the  prisoners  were  recovered. 


34 


266 


THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 


Mr.  Catlin  gives  the  following  narrative  of  a 
thrilling  adventure,  which  took  place  while  he  was 
exhibiting  a  party  of  Iowa  Indians  at  his  exhibition 
rooms  in  London  : — 

The  night  of  this  memorable  day  I  had  announced 
as  the  last  night  of  the  Indians  at  the  Egyptian  Hall, 
arrangements  having  been  effected  for  their  exhibi- 
tions to  be  made  a  few  days  in  Vauxhall  Gardens 


BOBASHEELA.  267 

before  leaving  London  for  some  of  the  provincial 
towns.  This  announcement,  of  course,  brought  a 
dense  crowd  into  the  Hall,  and  in  it,  as  usual,  many 
of  my  old  friends,  to  take  their  last  gaze  at  the 
Indians. 

The  amusements  were  proceeding  this  evening  as 
on  former  occasions,  when  a  sudden  excitement  was 
raised  in  the  following  manner.  In  the  midst  of  one 
of  their  noisy  dances,  the  war-chief  threw  himself, 
with  a  violent  jump  and  a  yell  of  the  shrill  war- 
whoop,  to  the  corner  of  the  platform,  where  he  landed 
on  his  feet  in  a  half-crouching  position,  with  his  eyes 
and  one  of  his  forefingers  fixed  upon  something  that 
attracted  his  whole  attention  in  a  distant  part  of  the 
crowd.  The  dance  stopped — the  eyes  of  all  the  In- 
dians, and  of  course  those  of  most  of  the  crowd,  were 
attracted  to  the  same  point;  the  eyes  of  the  old  war- 
chief  were  standing  open,  and  in  a  full  blaze  upon 
the  object  before  him,  which  nobody  could  well  ima- 
gine, from  his  expression,  to  be  any  thing  less  excit- 
ing than  a  huge  panther,  or  a  grisly  bear,  in  the  act 
of  springing  upon  him.  After  staring  a  while,  and 
then  shifting  his  weight  upon  the  other  leg,  and  tak- 
ing a  moment  to  wink,  for  the  relief  of  his  eyes,  he 
resumed  the  intensity  of  his  gaze  upon  the  object  be- 
fore him  in  the  crowd,  and  was  indulging  during  a 
minute  or  two  in  a  dead  silence,  for  the  events  of 
twenty  or  thirty  years  to  run  through  his  mind,  when 
he  slowly  straightened  up  to  a  more  confident  posi- 
tion, with  his  eyes  relaxed,  but  still  fixed  upon  their 
object,  when,  in  an  emphatic  and  ejaculatory  tone, 


268  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

he  pronounced  the  bewildering  word  of  Bobasheela ! 
and  repeated  it,  Bobasheela  ?  "  Yes,  I'm  Bobasheela, 
my  good  old  fellow  !  I  knew  your  voice  as  soon  as 
you  spoke,  though  you  don't  understand  English  yet." 
Chee-au-mung-ta-wangish-kee,  Bobasheela.  "  My 
friends,  will  you  allow  me  to  move  along  towards  that 
good  old  fellow  ? — he  knows  me."  At  which  the  old 
chief  (not  of  a  hundred,  but)  of  mant/  battles,  gave  a 
yell  and  a  leap  from  the  platform,  and  took  his  faith- 
ful friend  Bobasheela  in  his  arms,  and,  after  a  lapse 
of  thirty  years,  had  the  pleasure  of  warming  his  cheek 
against  that  of  one  of  his  oldest  and  dearest  friends — 
one  whose  heart,  we  have  since  found,  had  been  tried 
and  trusted,  and  as  often  requited,  in  the  midst  of  the 
dense  and  distant  wildernesses  of  the  banks  of  the 
Mississippi  and  Missouri.  While  this  extraordinary 
interview  was  proceeding,  all  ideas  of  the  dance  were 
for  the  time  lost  sight  of,  and,  while  these  veterans 
were  rapidly  and  mutually  reciting  the  evidences  of 
their  bygone  days  of  attachment,  there  came,  a  simul- 
taneous demand  from  all  parts  of  the  room  for  an  in- 
terpretation of  their  conversation,  which  I  gave  as  far 
as  I  could  understand  it,  and  as  far  as  it  had  then 
proceeded,  thus  : — The  old  Sachem,  in  leading  off  his 
favourite  war-dance,  suddenly  fixed  his  eye  upon  a 
face  in  the  crowd,  which  he  instantly  recognised,  and, 
gazing  upon  it  a  moment,  decided  that  it  was  the 
well-known  face  of  an  old  friend,  with  whom  he  had 
spent  many  happy  days  of  his  early  life  on  the  banks 
of  the  Mississippi  and  Missouri  rivers  in  America. 
The  old  chief,  by  appealing  to  this  gentleman's  familiar 


BOBASHEELA.  269 

Indian  cognomen  of  Bobasheela,  brought  out  an  in- 
stant proof  of  the  correctness  of  his  recognition ;  and, 
as  he  held  him  by  both  hands  to  make  proof  doubly 
strong,  he  made  much  merriment  among  the  party  of 
Indians,  by  asking  him  if  he  ever  "  floated  down  any 
part  of  the  great  Mississippi  river  in  the  night,  astride 
of  two  huge  logs  of  wood,  with  his  legs  hanging  in 
the  water?"  To  which  Bobasheela  instantly  replied 
in  the  affirmative.  After  which,  and  several  medicine 
phrases  and  masonic  grips  and  signs  had  passed  be- 
tween them,  the  dance  was  resumed,  and  the  rest  of 
the  story,  as  well  as  other  anecdotes  of  the  lives  of 
these  extraordinary  personages,  postponed  to  the  pro- 
per time  and  place,  when  and  where  the  reader  will 
be  sure  to  hear  them. 

The  exhibition  for  the  evening  being  over,  Boba- 
sheela was  taken  home  with  the  Indians  to  their  lodg- 
ings to  smoke  a  pipe  with  them;  and,  having  had 
the  curiosity  to  be  of  the  party,  I  was  enabled  to 
gather  the  following  further  information  :  This  Bo- 
basheela, (Mr.  J.  H.,  a  native  of  Cornwall,)  who 
is  now  spending  the  latter  part  of  a  very  independ- 
ent bachelor's  life  among  his  friends  in  London, 
left  his  native  country  as  long  ago  as  the  year  1805, 
and,  making  his  way,  like  many  other  bold  adven- 
turers, across  the  Alleghany  mountains  in  America, 
descended  into  the  great  and  almost  boundless  valley 
of  the  Mississippi,  in  hopes,  by  his  indefatigable  in- 
dustry and  daring  enterprise,  to  share  in  the  products 
that  must  find  their  way  from  that  fertile  wilderness 
valley  to  the  civilized  world. 

z2 


270  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

In  this  arduous  and  most  perilous  pursuit,  he  re- 
peatedly ascended  and  descended  in  his  bark  canoe — 
his  pirogue  or  his  Mackinaw  boat — the  Ohio,  the 
Muskingum,  the  Cumberland,  the  Tennessee,  the 
Arkansas,  the  Missouri,  and  Mississippi  rivers ;  and, 
among  the  thousand  and  one  droll  and  •  amusing  in- 
cidents of  thirty  years  spent  in  such  a  sort  of  life, 
was  the  anecdote  which  the  war-chief  alluded  to,  in 
the  unexpected  meeting  with  his  old  friend  in  my 
exhibition-room,  and  which  the  two  parties  more  fully 
related  to  me  in  this  evening's  interview.  The  good- 
natured  Mr.  H.  told  me  that  the  tale  was  a  true  one, 
and  the  awkward  predicament  spoken  of  by  the  war- 
chief  was  one  that  he  was  actually  placed  in  when 
his  acquaintance  first  began  with  his  good  friend. 

Though  the  exhibition  had  kept  us  to  a  late  hour, 
the  greetings  and  pleasing  reminiscences  to  be  gone 
over  by  these  two  reclaimed  friends,  and,  as  they 
called  themselves,  "  brothers"  of  the  "  Far  West,' 
over  repeatedly  charged  pipes  of  k'nick  k'neck,  were 
pleasing,  and  held  us  to  a  most  unreasonable  hour  at 
night.  When  the  chief,  among  his  rapid  interroga- 
tions to  Bobasheela,  asked  him  if  he  had  preserved 
his  she-she-quoin,  he  gave  instant  reKef  to  the  mind 
of  his  friend,  from  which  the  lapse'  of  time  and 
changes  of  society  had  erased  the  recollection  of  the 
chief's  familiar  name,  She-she-quoi-me-gon,  by  which 
his  friend  had  christened  him,  from  the  circumstance 
of  his  having  presented  him  a  she-she-quoin,  (or  mys- 
tery rattle,)  the  customary  badge  bestowed  when  any 


BOBASHEELA.  271 

one  is  initiated  into  the  degree  of  "  doctor"  or  "  bro- 
ther." 

From  the  forms  and  ceremonies  which  my  good 
friend  Bobasheela  had  gone  through,  it  seems  (as  his 
name  indicates)  that  he  stood  in^the  relationship  of 
brother  to  the  chief;  and,  although  the  chief's  inter- 
rogations had  produced  him  pleasure  in  one  respect, 
one  can  easily  imagine  him  much  pained  in  another, 
inasmuch  as  he  was  obliged  to  acknowledge  that  his 
sacred  badge,  his  she-she-quoin,  had  been  lost  many 
years  since,  by  the  sinking  of  one  of  his  boats  on  the 
Cumberland  river.  For  his  standing  in  the  tribe, 
such  an  event  might  have  been  of  an  irretrievable 
character ;  but  for  the  renewed  and  continued  good 
fellowship  of  his  friend  in  this  country,  the  accident 
proved  to  be  one  of  little  moment,  as  will  be  learned 
from  various  incidents  recited  in  the  following  pages. 

In  the  first  evening's  interview  over  the  pipe,  my 
friend  Mr.  H.,  to  the  great  amusement  of  the  party 
of  Indians,  and  of  Daniel  and  the  squaws,  who  had 
gathered  around  us,  as  well  as  several  of  my  London 
friends,  related  the  story  of  "floating  down  the  Mis- 
sissippi river  on  two  logs  of  wood,"  &c.,  as  follows  : 

"This  good  old  fellow  and  I  formed  our  first  ac- 
quaintance in  a  very  curious  way,  and,  when  you 
hear  me  relate  the  manner  of  it,  I  am  quite  sure  you 
will  know  how  to  account  for  his  recognising  me  this 
evening,  and  for  the  pleasure  we  have  both  felt  at 
thus  unexpectedly  meeting.  In  the  year  1806,  I 
happened  to  be  on  a  visit  to  St.  Louis,  and  thence 
proceeded   up   the   Missouri   to   the   mouth   of  the 


272  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

^  Femme  Osage'  to  pay  a  visit  to  my  old  friend  Daniel 
Boone,  who  had  a  short  time  before  left  his  farm  in 
Kentucky  and  settled  on  the  banks  of  the  Missouri, 
in  the  heart  of  an  entire  wilderness,  to  avoid  the  con- 
stant annoyance  of  the  neighbours  who  had  flocked 
into  the  country  around  him  in  Kentucky.  The 
place  for  his  future  abode,  which  he  had  selected, 
was  in  a  rich  and  fertile  country,  and  forty  or  fifty 
miles  from  any  white  inhabitants,  where  he  was  de- 
termined to  spend  the  remainder  of  his  days,  believ- 
ing that,  for  the  rest  of  his  life,  he  would  be  no  more 
annoyed  by  the  familiarity  of  neighbours.  I  spent 
several  weeks  very  pleasantly  with  the  old  pioneer, 
who  had  intentionally  built  his  log-cabin  so  small, 
with  only  one  room  and  one  bed  for  himself  and  his 
wife,  that  even  his  best  friends  should  not  break  upon 
the  sacred  retirement  of  his  house  at  night ;  but,  hav- 
ing shared  his  hospitable  board  during  the  day,  were 
referred  to  the  cabin  of  his  son,  Nathan  Boone,  about 
four  hundred  yards  distant,  where  an  extra  room  and 
an  extra  bed  afforded  them  the  means  of  passing  the 
night. 

"  The  old  hunter  and  his  son  were  thus  living  very 
happily,  and  made  me  comfortable  and  happy  while  I 
was  with  them.  The  anecdotes  of  his  extraordinary 
life,  which  were  talked  over  for  amusement  during 
that  time,  were  enough  to  fill  a  volume.  The  vene- 
rable old  man,  whose  long  and  flowing  locks  were  sil- 
very white,  was  then  in  his  78th  year,  and  still  he 
almost  daily  took  down  his  trusty  rifle  from  its  hooks 
in  the  morning,  and  in  a  little  time  would  bring  in  a 


BOBASHEELA.  273 

saddle  of  venison  for  our  breakfast,  and   thus  he 
chiefly  supported  his  affectionate  old  lady  and  him- 
self, and  the  few  friends  who  found  their  way  to  his 
solitary  abode,  without  concern  or  care  for  the  future. 
The  stump  of  a  large  cotton  wood  tree,  which  had 
been  cut  down,  was  left  standing  in  the  ground,  and 
being  cut  square  off  on  the  top,  and  his  cabin  being 
built  around  it,  answered  the  purpose  of  a  table  in 
^  the  centre  of  his  cabin,  from  which  our  meals  were 
eaten.     When  I  made  my  visit  to  him,  he  had  been 
living  several  years  in  this  retired  state,  and  been 
perfectly  happy  in  the  undisturbed  solitude  of  the 
wilderness,  but  told  me  several  times  that  he  was 
becoming  very  uneasy  and  distressed,  as  he  found 
that  his  days  of  peace  were  nearly  over,  as  two  Yan- 
kee families   had  already  found  the  way  into  the 
country,  and  one  of  them  had  actually  settled  within 
nine  miles  of  him. 

"  Having  finished  my  visit  to  this  veteran  and  his 
son,  I  mounted  my  horse,  and,  taking  leave,  followed 
an  Indian  trail  to  the  town  of  St.  Charles,  some 
thirty  or  forty  miles  below,  on  the  north  banks  of  the 
Missouri.  I  here  visited  some  old  friends  with  whom 
I  had  become  acquainted  on  the  lower  Mississippi  in 
former  years,  and  intending  to  descend  the  river  from 
that  to  St.  Louis  by  a  boat,  had  sold  my  horse  when 
I  arrived  there.  Before  I  was  ready  to  embark,  how- 
ever, an  old  friend  of  mine,  Lieutenant  Pike,  who 
had  just  returned  from  his  exploring  expedition  to 
the  Eocky  Mountains,  had  passed  up  from  St.  Louis 
to  a  small  settlement  formed  on  the  east  bank  of  the 


35 


274  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

Mississippi,  and  a  few  miles  below  the  mouth  of  the 
Missouri,  to  attend  a  wedding  which  was  to  take 
place  on  the  very  evening  that  I  had  received  the  in- 
formation of  it,  and,  like  himself,  being  intimately 
acquainted  with  the  young  man  who  was  to  be  mar- 
ried, I  resolved  to  be  present  if  possible,  though  I 
had  had  no  invitation  to  attend,  it  not  being  known 
to  the  parties  that  I  was  in  that  part  of  the  country. 
The  spot  where  the  wedding  was  to  take  place  being 
on  the  bank  of  the  river,  and  on  my  route  to  St. 
Louis,  I  endeavoured  to  procure  a  canoe  for  the  pur- 
pose ;  but,  not  being  able  to  get  such  a  thing  in  St. 
Charles  at  that  time  for  love  or  money,  and  still  re- 
solved to  be  at  the  wedding,  I  succeeded  in  rolling  a 
couple  of  large  logs  into  the  stream,  which  lay  upon 
the  shore  in  front  of  the  village,  and,  lashing  them 
firmly  together,  took  a  paddle  from  the  first  boat  that 
I  could  meet,  and,  seating  myself  astride  of  the  two 
logs,  I  pushed  off  into  the  muddy  current  of  the  Mis- 
souri, and  was  soon  swept  away  out  of  sight  of  the 
town  of  St.  Charles.  My  embarkation  was  a  little 
before  sundown,  and,  having  fifteen  or  twenty  miles 
to  float  before  I  should  be  upon  the  waters  of  the 
Mississippi,  I  was  in  the  midst  of  my  journey  over- 
taken by  night,  and  had  to  navigate  my  floating  logs 
as  well  as  I  could  among  the  snags  and  sandbars  that 
fell  in  my  way.  I  was  lucky,  however,  in  escaping 
them  all,  though  I  sometimes  grazed  them  as  I 
passed,  and  within  a  few  inches  of  being  hurled  to 
destruction.  I  at  length  entered  the  broad  waters  of 
the  Mississippi,  and  a  few  miles  below,  on  the  lefti 


BOBASHEELA.  277 

bank,  saw  the  light  in  the  cabins  in  which  the 
merry  circle  of  my  friends  were  assembled,  and  with 
all  my  might  was  plying  my  paddle  to  propel  my 
two  logs  to  the  shore.  In  the  midst  of  my  hard 
struggle,  I  discovered  several  objects  on  my  right  and 
ahead  of  me,  which  seemed  to  be  rapidly  approach- 
ing me,  and  I  concluded  that  I  was  drifting  on  to 
rocks  or  snags  that  were  in  a  moment  to  destroy  me. 
But  in  an  instant  one  of  these  supposed  snags  si- 
lently shot  along  by  the  side  of  my  logs,  and,  being 
a  canoe  with  four  Indians  in  it,  and  all  with  their 
bows  and  war-clubs  drawn  upon  me,  they  gave  the 
signal  for  silence,  as  one  of  them,  a  tall,  long-armed, 
and  powerful  man,  seized  me  by  the  collar.  Having 
partially  learned  several  of  the  languages  of  the  In- 
dian tribes  bordering  on  the  Mississippi,  I  understood 
him  as  he  said  in  the  Iowa  language,  '  Not  a  word  ! 
if  you  speak  you  die  !'  At  that  moment,  a  dozen  or 
more  canoes  were  all  drawn  close  around  my  two  logs 
of  wood,  astride  of  which  I  sat,  with  my  legs  in  the 
water  up  to  my  knees.  These  canoes  were  all  filled 
with  warriors  with  their  weapons  in  their  hands,  and, 
no  women  being  with  them,  I  saw  they  were  a  war- 
party,  and  preparing  for  some  mischief.  Finding 
that  I  understood  their  language  and  could  speak  a 
few  words  with  them,  the  warrior  who  still  held  me 
by  the  collar  made  a  sign  to  the  other  canoes  to  fall 
back  a  little  while  he  addressed  me  in  a  low  voice. 
*  Do  you  know  the  white  chief  who  is  visiting  his 
friends  this  night  on  the  bank  yonder  where  we  see 
the  lights  ?'     To  which  I  replied,  '  Yes,  he  is  an  old 

3A 


278  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

friend  of  mine.'  '  Well/  said  he,  '  he  dies  to-night, 
and  all  those  wigwams  are  to  be  laid  in  ashes.  Stef^- 
e-no-ka  was  a  cousin  of  mine,  and  Que-tun-ka  was  a 
good  man  and  a  friend  to  the  white  people.  The 
pale  faces  hung  them  like  two  dogs  by  their  necks, 
and  the  life  of  your  friend,  the  white  warrior,  pays 
the  forfeit  this  night,  and  many  may  be  the  women 
and  children  who  will  die  by  his  side !'  I  explained 
to  him  as  well  as  I  could  that  my  friend.  Lieutenant 
Pike,  had  had  no  hand  in  the  execution  of  the  two 
Indians ;  that  they  were  hung  below  St.  Louis  when 
Lieutenant  Pike  was  on  his  way  home  from  the  Kocky 
Mountains.  I  told  him  also  that  Lieutenant  Pike 
was  a  great  friend  of  the  Indians,  and  would  do  any 
thing  to  aid  or  please  them ;  that  he  had  gone  over 
the  river  that  night  to  attend  the  wedding  of  a  friend, 
and  little  dreamed  that  among  the  Indians  he  had 
any  enemies  who  would  raise  their  hands  against 
him. 

"  *My  friend,'  said  he,  ^you  have  said  enough;  if 
you  tell  me  that  your  friend,  or  the  friend  or  the 
enemy  of  any  man,  takes  the  hand  of  a  fair  daughter 
on  that  ground  to-night,  an  Iowa  chief  will  not  offend 
the  Great  Spirit  by  raising  the  war-cry  there.  No 
Iowa  can  spill  the  blood  of  an  enemy  on  the  ground 
where  the  hands  and  the  hearts  of  man  and  woman 
are  joined  together.  This  is  the  command  of  the 
Great  Spirit,  and  an  Iowa  warrior  cannot  break  it. 
My  friend,  these  warriors  you  see  around  me  with 
myself  had  sworn  to  kill  the  first  human  being  we 
met  on  our  war-excursion.     We  shall  not  harm  you ; 


BOBASHEELA.  279 

SO  you  see  that  I  give  you  your  life.  You  will,  there- 
fore, keep  your  lips  shut,  and  we  will  return  in  peace 
to  our  village,  which  is  far  up  the  river,  and  we  shall 
hereafter  meet  our  friends,  the  white  people,  in  the 
great  city,*  as  we  have  heretofore  done,  and  we  have 
many  friends  there.  We  shall  do  no  harm  to  any 
one.  My  face  is  now  blackened,  and  the  night  is 
dark,  therefore  you  cannot  know  me ;  but  this  arrow 
you  will  keep — it  matches  with  all  the  others  in  my 
quiver,  and  by  it  you  can  always  recognise  me ;  but 
the  meeting  of  this  night  is  not  to  be  known.'  He 
gave  me  the  arrow,  and  with  these  words  turned  his 
canoe,  and,  joining  his  companions,  was  in  a  moment 
out  of  sight.  My  arrow  being  passed  under  my  hat- 
band; and  finding  that  the  current  had  by  this  time 
drifted  me  down  a  mile  or  two  below  the  place  where 
I  designed  to  land,  and  beyond  the  power  of  reaching 
it  with  my  two  awkward  logs  of  wood,  I  steered  my 
course  onward  toward  St.  Louis,  rapidly  gliding  over 
the  surface  of  the  broad  river,  and  arrived  safely  at 
the  shore  in  front  of  the  town  at  a  late  hour  in  the 
night,  having  drifted  a  distance  of  more  than  thirty- 
five  miles.  My  two  logs  were  an  ample  price  for  a 
night's  lodging  and  breakfast  and  dinner  the  next 
day;  and  I  continued  my  voyage  in  a  Mackinaw  boat 
on  the  same  day  to  Vide  Pouche,  a  small  French 
town  about  twenty  miles  below,  where  my  business 
required  my  presence.  The  wedding  party  proceeded 
undisturbed,  and  the  danger  they  had  been  in  was 
never  made  known  to  them,  as  I  promised  the  war- 

*  St.  Louis. 


280  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

chief,  who  gave  me,  as  the  condition  of  my  silence, 
the  solemn  promise  that  he  would  never  carry  his 
feelings  of  revenge  upon  innocent  persons  any  farther. 
"  Thus  ends  the  story  of  ^  floating  down  the  Missis- 
sippi river  on  the  two  logs  of  wood,'  which  the  war- 
chief  alluded  to  in  the  question  he  put  to  me  this 
evening.  On  a  subsequent  occasion,  some  two  or 
three  years  afterwards,  while  sitting  in  the  office  of 
Governor  Clark,  the  superintendent  of  Indian  affairs 
in  St.  Louis,  where  he  was  holding  ^a  talk*  with 
a  party  of  Indians,  a  fine-looking  fellow,  of  six  feet 
or  more  in  stature,  fixed  his  eyes  intently  upon  me, 
and,  after  scanning  me  closely  for  a  few  moments, 
advanced,  and,  seating  himself  on  the  floor  by  the 
side  of  me,  pronounced  the  word  ^  Bobasheela,'  and 
asked  me  if  ever  I  had  received  an  arrow  from  the 
quiver  of  an  Indian  warrior.  The  mutual  recogni- 
tion took  place  by  my  acknowledging  the  fact,  and  a 
shake  of  the  hand,  and  an  amusing  conversation 
about  the  circumstances,  and  still  the  facts  and  the 
amusement  all  kept  to  ourselves.  This  step  led  to 
the  future  familiarities  of  our  lives  in  the  various 
places  where  the  nature  of  my  business  led  me  into 
his  society,  and  gained  for  me  the  regular  adoption 
as  Bobasheela  (or  brother)  and  the  badge  (the  she-she- 
quoin,  or  mystery  rattle)  alluded  to  in  the  previous 
remarks,  and  which,  it  has  been  already  stated,  was 
lost  by  the  sinking  of  one  of  my  boats  on  the  Cum- 
berland river." 


REMARKABLE    ESCAPE    FROM    INDIANS.  281 


In  the  autumn  of  1695  a  party  of  Indians  attacked 
the  town  of  Haverhill,  Massachusetts,  and  succeeded 
in  capturing  two  youths ;  Isaac  Bradley,  aged  fifteeis 
years,  and  Joseph  Whitaker,  aged  eleven.  Withoui 
attempting  further  violence,  the  Indians  quickly  re« 
treated,  passed  through  the  adjoining  forests,  and 
reached  their  tribes  on  the  shores  of  Lake  Winnepise- 
ogee.  The  prisoners  were  treated  with  kindness,  and 
became  members  of  a  family  in  which  w^ere  two  or 
three  Indian  children.  They  soon  learned  the  Indian 
language ;  a  circumstance  which  so  pleased  the  tribe, 
that  it  was  resolved  to  carry  them  to  Canada  in  the 
ensuing  spring.  To  the  elder  boy,  who  was  of  an 
active  and  enterprising  disposition,  this  resolution  was 
full  of  terror.  Already  a  deep  and  unbroken  wilder- 
ness, pathless  mountains,  and  swollen  rivers,  lay  be- 
tween him  and  home ;  and  should  he  and  his  com- 
panion be  carried  still  further  north,  there  was  but 
little  likelihood  of  their  ever  again  reaching  home. 
Isaac  determined  to  attempt  an  escape,  before  the  re- 
turn of  spring.  Night  and  day,  while  apparently 
asleep,  or  while  apparently  cheerful  in  obeying  the 
commands  of  his  master,  he  adopted  and  rejected 
various  plans,  which  might  effect  the  wished-for  pur- 
pose. Anxiety  of  mind  brought  on  a  raging  fever, 
from  which  he  narrowly  escaped  with  life.  The 
gloomy  winter  of  a  New  England  forest  came  on; 
month  after  month  slowly  glided  away ;  the  spring 

36  2a  2 


282  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

returned,  and  still  the  two  boys  were  prisoners.  But 
the  nearness  of  the  dreaded  calamity  quickened  the 
ingenuity  of  the  captive  youth ;  he  matured  his  plan 
and  appointed  a  night  in  April  for  its  execution. 

The  attempt  was  made  at  midnight.  Isaac  lay 
awake  until  his  Indian  companions  were  sunk  in 
sleep,  and  every  thing  was  hushed  around.  He  then 
arose  and  glanced  timidly  around.  A  thick  darkness 
had  settled  on  the  face  of  nature,  scattered  only  when 
the  moon  broke  through  the  passing  clouds.  This 
attempt  was  a  desperate  one,  and  he  felt  it  so ;  but 
his  spirit  had  been  trained  among  those  of  the  early 
settlers  of  Plymouth  and  Massachusetts.  Stepping 
softly  among  his  tawny  bed-fellows,  he  secured  his 
master's  guns,  moosemeat,  and  bread,  which  he  carried 
to  a  neighbouring  thicket  of  bushes.  He  then  at- 
tempted to  awake  his  companion,  but  with  a  success 
which  convinced  him  that  to  persevere  in  the  attempt 
would  ruin  his  purpose.  He  therefore  left  the  wig- 
wam and  hurried  to  the  place  where  were  concealed 
the  arms  and  provisions,  but  before  he  was  able  to 
reach  it,  he  was  alarmed  by  the  noise  of  footsteps, 
and  perceived  that  he  was  followed.  It  was  by  his 
fellow  captive.  They  speedily  secured  their  booty, 
and  then,  without  chart  or  compass,  struck  into  the 
woods  in  a  southerly  direction,  aiming  for  the  settle- 
ment of  Haverhill.  After  running  all  night,  they 
stopped  at  daylight  near  a  hollow  log,  into  which  they 
both  crept. 

Here,  in  the  course  of  tjie  morning,  they  were 
tracked  by  their  master's  dogs.     Behind  them  the  In- 


REMARKABLE    ESCAPE   FROM   INDIANS.  283 

dians  were  in  full  pursuit.  In  this  extremity  the  boys 
spoke  kindly  to  the  animals,  which,  knowing  their 
voices,  ceased  to  bark.  -  They  then  threw  to  them 
some  moosemeat,  which  the  animals  devoured  greedily. 

The  pursuers  now  arrived,  but  passed  without 
noticing  the  dogs ;  and  at  night  Isaac  and  his  com- 
panion left  the  log,  and  hurried  away  in  another 
direction.  After  consuming  their  small  stock  of  bread, 
they  gathered  roots  and  buds.  Next  day  they  again 
concealed  themselves;  but  they  travelled  the  third 
day  and  night  without  resting.  In  this  manner  they 
journeyed  five  days,  living  partly  on  roots  and  partly 
upon  a  pigeon  and  a  turtle,  which  they  were  obliged 
to  eat  raw.  On  the  sixth  day,  they  struck  into  an 
Indian  path,  and  followed  it  till  night,  when  they 
suddenly  came  within  sight  of  an  encampment,  with- 
in which  a  number  of  their  enemies  were  seated 
round  a  fire.  They  precipitately  retraced  their  steps, 
until,  at  the  appearance  of  morning,  they  reached  a 
small  stream,  by  which  they  sat  down.  They  were 
now  in  a  pathless  and  seemingly  interminable  forest, 
surrounded  by  savages,  hungry,  destitute,  and  lacerated 
with  thorns  and  rocks.  It  is  no  wonder  that,  under 
such  circumstances,  these  unhappy  boys  felt  their 
hearts  sink  within  them,  as  they  leaned  one  upon  the 
other,  and  mingled  their  tears  with  the  ripples  of  the 
careless  stream. 

Still  the  elder  boy  did  not  despair.  Knowing  that 
the  stream  must  eventually  lead  to  a  large  body  of 
water,  he  encouraged  his  companion,  and  after  refresh- 
ing themselves,  both  again  pushed  forward,  following 


284  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

the  course  of  the  rivulet.  On  the  eighth  morning 
Joseph  lay  down  in  despair.  His  limbs  were  mangled, 
his  body  was  emaciated.  Isaac  begged  him  to  pro- 
ceed ;  he  dug  roots  for  him  to  eat,  and  brought  water 
to  quench  his  thirst.  He  represented  the  certainty 
of  death,  should  he  remain  there.  It  was  vain ;  and 
leaving  his  companion  to  his  fate,  he,  with  weary  steps 
and  a  bleeding  heart,  pursued  his  lonely  journey. 
Suddenly  he  came  in  sight  of  a  small  building.  In- 
spired by  hope,  he  hurried  to  his  companion,  urged 
him  to  another  trial,  and  rubbed  his  stiffened  limbs 
until  they  could  once  more  sustain  their  accustomed 
weight.  They  started  together,  Isaac  sometimes  lead- 
ing, sometimes  carrying  his  companion ;  until,  after 
toiling  all  day,  they  reached  Saco  Fort. 

This  is  undoubtedly  one  of  the  most  extraordinary 
escapes  from  Indians  that  we  have  on  record.  Dur- 
ing nine  days,  two  youths,  one  scarcely  emerged  from 
childhood,  had  travelled  through  an  immense  forest, 
subsisting  on  a  little  bread,  on  buds  and  berries,  and 
on  a  raw  turtle  and  a  pigeon,  without  seeing  the  face 
of  a  friend  or  warming  themselves  near  a  fire.  When 
they  arrived  at  Fort  Saco,  they  were  lacerated  by 
thorns,  exhausted  by  sickness,  and  emaciated  to 
skeletons.  When  Isaac  regained  his  strength,  he 
started  for  Haverhill,  and  arrived  safely  at  his  father's 
dwelling.  Joseph  had  more  to  suffer.  For  a  long 
time  he  lay  at  Saco,  suffering  under  a  raging  fever. 
His  father,  when  Isaac  returned,  went  to  the  fort,  and 
as  soon  as  possible  brought  home  his  long  lost  son. 


MASSACRE    AT   MIMMs's    FORT.  285 


The  following  account  of  the  destruction  of 
Mimms's  Fort  and  the  adjoining  defences,  by  the 
Southern  Indians,  previous  to  their  removal  to  the 
west,  is  extracted  from  the  journals  of  the  year  1813 : 

A  few  days  before  the  attack,  some  negroes  of  Mr. 
McGirt's,  who  lived  in  that  part  of  the  Creek  country 
inhabited  by  half-breeds,  had  been  sent  up  the  Ala- 
bama to  his  plantation  for  corn.  Three  of  them  were 
taken  by  a  party  of  Indians.  One  escaped,  and  brought 
down  news  of  the  approach  of  the  Indians.  The 
officer  gave  but  little  credit  to  him,  but  they  made 
some  further  preparation  to  receive  the  enemy.  On 
the  next  day,  Mr.  James  Cornels,  a  half-breed,  and 
some  white  men,  who  had  been  out  on  the  late  battle 
ground,  and  discovered  the  trail  of  a  considerable 
body  of  Indians  going  towards  Mr.  McGirt's,  came  to 
the  fort  and  informed  the  commanding  officer  of  their 
discovery.  Though  their  report  did  not  appear  to  re- 
ceive full  credit,  it  occasioned  greater  exertions,  and  on 
Saturday  and  Sunday  considerable  work  was  done  to 
put  the  fort  in  a  state  of  defence.  Sunday  morning, 
three  negroes  were  sent  out  to  attend  the  cattle,  who 
soon  returned  with  an  account  that  they  had  seen 
twenty  Indians.  Scouts  were  sent  out  to  ascertain 
the  truth  of  the  report.  They  returned  and  declared 
that  they  could  see  no  signs  of  Indians.  One  of  the 
negroes  belonging  to  Mr.  Random  was  whipped  for 
bringing  what  they  deemed  a  false  report.     He  was 


286  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

sent  out  again  on  Monday,  and  saw  a  body  of  Indians 
approaching,  but,  afraid  of  being  whipped,  he  did  not 
return  to  Mimms's,  but  to  Pierce's  fort ;  but  before  his 
story  could  be  communicated,  the  attack  was  made. 
The  commanding  officer  called  upon  Mr.  Fletcher,  who 
owned  another  of  the  negroes,  to  whip  him  also.  He 
believed  the  boy,  and  resisted  two  or  three  applications; 
but  at  length  they  had  him  actually  brought  out  for 
the  purpose,  when  the  Indians  appeared  in  view  of 
the  fort.  The  gate  was  open.  The  Indians  had  to 
come  through  an  open  field  a  hundred  and  fifty  yards 
wide  before  they  could  reach  the  fort,  and  yet  they 
were  within  thirty  steps  of  the  fort  at  eleven  o'clock  in 
the  morning,  before  they  were  noticed.  The  sentry 
then  gave  the  cry  of  "  Indians !"  and  they  immedi- 
ately set  up  a  most  terrible  war-whoop,  and  rushed 
into  the  gate  with  inconceivable  rapidity,  and  got 
within  it  before  the  people  of  the  fort  had  any  oppor- 
tunity of  shutting  it.  This  decided  their  fate.  Major 
Beasly  was  shot  through  the  belly,  near  the  gate.  He 
called  to  the  men  to  take  care  of  the  ammunition  and 
to  retreat  to  the  house.  He  went  himself  to  a  kitchen, 
where  it  is  supposed  he  must  have  been  burnt 

The  fort  was  originally  square.  Major  Beasly  had 
it  enlarged,  by  extending  the  lines  of  two  sides  about 
fifty  feet  and  putting  up  a  new  side,  into  which  the 
gate  was  removed.  The  old  line  of  pickets  stood,  and 
the  Indians,  upon  rushing  into  the  gate,  obtained 
possession  of  this  additional  part,  and  through  the 
pori>holes  of  the  old  line  of  pickets  fired  on  the  peo- 
ple who  held  the  interior.     On  the  opposite  side  of  the 


^ 


MASSACRE    AT    MIMMS's    FORT.  289 

fort,  an  offset  or  bastion  was  made  round  the  back 
gate,  which,  being  open  on  the  outside,  was  also  taken 
possession  of  by  the  Indians,  who,  with  the  axes  which 
lay  scattered  about,  immediately  began  to  cut  down 
the  gate.  There  was  a  large  body  of  Indians,  though 
they  did  not  probably  exceed  four  hundred.  Our 
people  seemed  to  sustain  the  attack  with  undaunted 
spirit.  They  took  possession  of  the  port-holes  in  the 
other  lines  of  the  fort,  and  fired  on  the  Indians  who 
remained  in  the  field.  Some  of  the  Indians  got  on 
the  block-house  at  one  of  the  corners,  but  after  firing 
a  good  deal  down  upon  the  people,  they  were  dis- 
lodged ;  they  succeeded,  however,  in  setting  fire  to  a 
house  near  the  pickets,  from  which  it  was  communi- 
cated to  the  kitchen,  and  from  thence  to  the  main 
dwelling-house.  They  attempted^o  do  it  with  burn*- 
ing  arrows,  but  failed.  When  the  people  of  the  fort 
saw  that  the  Indians  retained  full  possession  of  tl^e 
outer  court,  that  the  gate  continued  open,  that  their 
men  fell  very  fast,  and  that  their  houses  were  in 
flames,  they  began  to  despond.  Some  determined  to 
cut  their  way  through  the  pickets  and  escape. 

Of  the  number  of  white  men  and  half-breeds  in  the 
fort,  it  is  supposed  that  not  more  than  twenty-five  or 
thirty  escaped,  and  of  these  many  were  wounded : 
the  rest,  and  almost  all  the  women  and  children,  fell 
a  sacrifice  either  to  the  arms  of  the  Indians  or  the 
flames.  The  battle  terminated  about  an  hour  or  an 
hour  and  a  half  before  sunset. 

37  2B 


290  THRILLING   ADVENTURES, 


The  Mexican  war  afforded  the  Camanche  Indians 
favourable  opportunities  to  capture  or  destroy  portions 
of  the  American  trains,  that  followed  in  the  rear  of 
our  different  armies.  Sometimes  small  parties  of  vo- 
lunteers or  adventurers  encountered  some  of  the  Ca- 
manche bands,  and,  though  generally  successful,  not 
unfrequently  met  with  considerable  loss.  The  famous 
"  guerilla  warfare,"  so  dreaded  in  the  civil  contentions 
of  Mexico,  was  in  part  sustained  by  half-civilized, 
half-savage  Camanches,  who,  armed  with  lasso,  gun, 
and  tomahawk,  and  accompanied  by  white  men,  half- 
savage,  half-civilized  like  themselves,  spread  terror 
and  desolation  wherever  they  came.  It  was  reserved 
for  the  American  volunteer  to  dissolve  the  halo  of 
fear  which  had  so  long  hung  over  the  name  of  Ca- 
manche, and  to  prove  to  the  world  that  he  was  not 
invincible. 

At  daylight  of  July  26th,  1847,  a  party  of  Ameri- 
cans on  the  Arkansas  river,  three  hundred  miles  from 
Fort  Leavenworth,  was  attacked  by  the  Camanches. 
The  party  were  escorting  a  large  government  train. 
The  dragoons,  being  mounted,  made  a  vigorous 
charge,  the  infantry,  with  a  few  horsemen,  remaining 
to  guard  the  camp.  A  desperate  struggle  ensued,  in 
which  three  hundred  Camanches  exerted  every  effort 
of  savage  strength  and  ingenuity  to  surround  a  little 
band  of  opponents,  whom  they  outnumbered  six  to 
one.     Five  of  the    Americans  were   killed,   three 


DEATH    OF    CAPTAIN   SMITH.  291 

severely  wounded,  two  slightly,  and  one  hundred  and 
thirty-five  yoke  of  cattle  driven  off  or  butchered.  The 
loss  of  the  Indians  was  not  ascertained,  as  they  car- 
ried off  their  dead  and  wounded.  In  one  week,  this 
band  of  Camanches,  assisted  by  rancheros  and  gue- 
rillas from  northern  Mexico,  destroyed  United  States 
property  to  the  amount  of  ten  thousand  dollars. 


The  trading  parties  between  Independence  and 
Santa  Fe  are  frequently  attacked  by  Indians,  more, 
it  would  seem,  from  a  thirst  for  plunder  than  from 
cruelty  or  revenge.  Some  instances  of  the  latter  kind 
are,  however,  on  record ;  and  one  of  these,  the  mur- 
der of  the  trader  Captain  Smith,  was  long  remembered 
by  the  border  men  as  an  inducement  to  revenge. 
Smith  had  long  been  known  as  a  Kocky  mountain 
hunter,  and  his  feats  of  daring  in  the  great  western 
wilderness  formed  subjects  for  admiration  and  asto- 
nishment to  many  a  forlorn  "trapping"  party,  as  it 
pursued  its  way  over  the  prairies.  In  1831,  he  joined 
a  company  under  Captain  Sublette,  destined  for  Santa 
F^.  Each  man  of  this  company  appears  to  have  been 
profoundly  ignorant  of  the  route,  and  of  the  hard- 
ships to  be  encountered  in  a  long  journey  through 
the  deserts  of  New  Mexico.  After  many  days  tra- 
velling, they  seem  to  have  lost  their  road ;  their  water 
was  exhausted,  and  around  them  was  an  arid  waste. 


292  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

destitute  of  both  stream  and  vegetation.  In  this 
dreadful  condition,  Smith  left  the  party  and  followed 
&  buffalo  track,  with  the  hope  of  thereby  arriving  at 
Home  brook  or  pond.  For  many  miles  he  fearlessly 
pursued  his  way,  until  what  he  imagined  to  be  a  small 
stream  broke  upon  his  sight.  He  hurried  forward  as 
fast  as  his  weakened  condition  would  admit,  but  on 
reaching  the  bank,  he  found  nothing  but  a  dry,  sandy 
bed,  whose  reflections  glared  intolerably  upon  his  be- 
wildered vision.  Unable  to  bear  his  raging  thirst 
any  longer,  he  threw  himself  into  the  channel  and 
scooped  up  the  sand  with  his  hands.  As  he  dug 
deeper,  it  seemed  to  get  moist,  and  at  the  distance  of 
more  than  a  foot  below  the  surface,  water  began  to 
ooze  gradually  through  the  sand.  He  sunk  his  face 
into  it,  and  sucked  the  grateful  liquid  from  the  ground. 
He  had  escaped  one  mode  of  death  only  to  die  by 
another.  A  party  of  Camanches  had  followed  his 
track,  and,  seizing  the  moment  when  he  was  thus  un- 
guarded, they  discharged  a  flight  of  arrows  upon  him 
and  rushed  to  closer  conflict.  Smith  fought  despe- 
rately, kilUng  two  or  three  of  his  enemies  -,  but  was 
at  length  overpowered  and  killed. 


The  Eutaw  or  Yuta  Indians  inhabit  the  north- 
western part  of  New  Mexico  and  California.  They 
are  renowned  for  bravery  and  for  their  custom  of  mi- 
grating in  large  parties,  especially  during  the  spring 


I 


ADVENTURE    WITH   THE    YUTAS.  293 

and  fall.  They  are  almost  constantly  at  war  with 
some  of  the  neighbouring  tribes,  and,  when  unsuccess- 
ful, will  often  gratify  their  vindictive  feelings  upon 
parties  of  the  whites.  A  case  of  this  nature  occurred 
in  1837.  A  considerable  number  of  the  Yutas  en- 
countered half  a  dozen  Shawnees,  near  the  head 
waters  of  the  Arkansas.  The  Shawnees  had  come 
upon  a  friendly  visit ;  but  the  Yutas  soon  contrived 
to  quarrel  with  them,  and  finally  made  a  charge.  The 
Shawnees  boldly  gathered  around  their  goods,  dis- 
charged their  arrows  upon  the  ehemy,  and  succeeded 
in  effecting  their  escape  without  loss.  Several  of  the 
aggressors  were  killed. 

Immediately  after  this  affair,  a  party  of  about 
thirty-five  traders,  under  Mr.  Josiah  Gregg,  arrived 
near  the  battle-ground.  On  halting,  in  order  to  pass 
the  night,  they  were  surprised  at  seeing  a  large  num- 
ber of  Indians  enter  their  camp  and  move  freely  with 
themselves  to  every  position.  They  were  the  de- 
feated Yutas,  who,  incensed  at  their  late  discomfiture, 
were  now  prepared  to  perform  any  outrage  upon 
friend  or  foe.  Suddenly  a  young  chief  sprang  upon 
a  horse  belonging  to  one  of  the  traders,  and  galloped 
off  at  full  speed.  Gregg's  force  was  too  small  to  en- 
gage the  Indians,  but  he  resolved  to  present  a  bold 
front,  and  accordingly  demanded,  in  peremptory  lan- 
guage, the  restoration  of  the  horse.  Its  effect  disap- 
pointed him.  The  Indians  laughed  at  the  message, 
and,  gathering  in  small  groups,  frowned  contemptu- 
ously upon  their  opponents.  Gregg  then  declared  his 
determination  to  obtain  redress  by  force.     The  In- 


2b2 


294  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

dians  immediately  grasped  their  arms,  uttered  the 
war-whoop,  and  sprang  upon  their  horses.  Their 
valour  was  accompanied  with  due  caution.  The  wo- 
men and  children  were  removed  to  an  adjoining 
precipice,  and  the  warriors  collected  in  order  of  battle. 
By  this  time  they  had  observed  that  a  part  of  the 
trading  force  were  Mexicans ;  and  with  true  Indian 
cunning  they  prepared  to  take  advantage  of  it.  A 
young  warrior  left  his  ranks  and  riding  up  to  within 
a  short  distance,  exhorted  his  "  Mexican  friends"  to 
desert  the  Americans.  This  was  accompanied  with 
the  assurance  that  they  should  be  well  treated,  while 
to  the  Americans  no  quarter  was  to  be  shown.  The 
Mexicans  treated  the  invitation  with  scorn,  and  both 
parties  now  prepared  for  a  struggle.  During  the 
preliminary  season  of  suspense,  an  aged  squaw  un- 
expectedly rode  up,  and  addressing  the  chiefs  exhorted 
them  to  remember  the  ties  of  friendship  existing  be- 
tween the  Yutas  and  the  Americans,  and  to  reject 
the  council  of  a  few  impetuous  youths,  who  were 
clamorous  for  war.  This  strange  mediation  was  fa- 
vourably received ;  both  parties  relaxed  their  military 
bearing;  the  stolen  horse  was  restored,  and  the  adven- 
ture terminated  by  a  social  smoke  between  the  traders 
and  their  strangely  acquired  friends. 


bO 

•3 


HUNTING  THE  BUFFALO  BY  STRATAGEM.    297 


^UKifug  t^e  Muii&h  h^  Stratagem* 

The   western   territories,  especially  the   portions 
near  the  Rocky  Mountains,  abound  in  wolves,  of 
which  the  most  numerous  and  formidable  is  a  white 
species,  which  attains  a  great  size,  and  is  considered 
a  good  match  for  the  largest  dog.     These  animals 
prowl  about  in  flocks  of  fifty  or  sixty,  attacking  any 
solitary  animal  that  may  fall  within  their  reach.  The 
buffalo  is  their  favourite  prey ;  and  they  always  fol- 
low in  the  hunter's  track  to  glean  what  he  leaves, 
or  to  kill  some  unfortunate  bull,  which  may  chance 
to  secrete  himself  from  man.     But,  when  the  buffa- 
loes are  herded  together,  they  have  little  fear  of  the 
wolf,  and  will  permit  him  to  approach  very  near 
them.     Of  this  sense  of  security  the  Indian  hunter 
frequently  takes  advantage.     Covering  himself  with 
a  white  wolf's  skin,  he  creeps  across  the  prairie,  and 
discharges  his  arrows  among  the  unsuspecting  herd 
with  fatal  effect.     Of  course,  the   fattest  and  most 
tender  are  selected  on  these  occasions ;    and   some- 
times a  warrior  will  destroy  as  great  a  number  in  this 
manner  as  when  engaged  with  the  whole  tribe  in  the 
chase.     The  method  may  remind  the  reader  of  the 
manner  in  which  the  negroes  of  southern  and  western 
Africa  hunt  and  destroy  the  ostrich. 

Another  equally  effective  method  of  hunting  the 
buffalo  is,  by  driving  him  into  snow  banks  in  the 
winter  season.  In  these  regions,  the  snow  is  often 
three  or  four  feet  deep,  being  blown  from  the  tops  and 


298  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

sides  of  hills.  At  such  times,  the  buffaloes  assemble 
on  the  hill  tops ;  but,  on  being  attp-cked,  they  rush 
down  and  endeavour  to  pass  through  the  snow,  but 
sink  in  it  to  their  flanks.  Here  they  fall  an  easy 
prey  to  the  hunter,  who,  on  his  snow  shoes,  gUdes 
with  ease  and  celerity  over  the  glazed  crust  of  snow. 
The  buffalo's  skin  is  in  winter  much  esteemed  on  ac- 
count of  its  long  fur ;  but,  with  improvident  thought- 
lessness, the  carcass  is  left  to  be  eaten  by  the  wolves. 


Among  a  party  of  young  men  who  formed  them- 
selves into  a  little  corps  called  Kangers,  expressly  for 
the  protection  of  the  western  frontier,  was  one  named 
Tom  Higgins.  He  was  a  native  of  Kentucky,  and  a 
capital  specimen  of  the  genuine  backwoodsman.  In 
the  month  of  August,  he  was  one  of  a  party  of  twelve 
men  who  were  posted  at  a  small  stockade  between 
Greenville  and  Vandalia.  These  towns  were  not 
then  in  existence,  and  the  surrounding  country  was 
one  vast  wilderness.  On  the  30th  of  the  month,  In- 
dians were  observed  in  the  neighbourhood,  and  at 
night  they  were  discovered  prowling  around  the 
fort,  but  no  alarm  was  given. 

Early  on  the  following  morning,  the  lieutenant 
moved  out  with  his  little  party  mounted  on  horse- 
back to  reconnoitre  the  Indians.  Passing  round  the 
fence  of  a  corn-field  adjoining  the  fort,  they  struck 


WONDERFUL  ESCAPE    OF    TOM   HIGGINS.  299 

across  the  prairie,  and  had  not  proceeded  more  than 
a  quarter  of  a  mile,  when,  in  crossing  a  small  ridge, 
which  was  covered  with  a  hazel  thicket,  in  full  view 
of  the  station,  they  fell  into  an  ambuscade  of  Indians, 
who  rose  suddenly  around  them  to  the  number  of 
seventy  or  eighty,  and  fired.  Four  of  the  party  were 
killed,  among  whom  was  the  lieutenant;  one  other 
fell,  badly  wounded,  and  the  rest  fled,  except  Hig- 
gins. 

It  was  a  sultry  morning,  the  day  was  just  dawn- 
ing, a  heavy  dew  had  fallen  during  the  night,  the  air 
was  still  and  damp,  and  the  smoke  from  the  guns 
hung  in  a  cloud  over  the  spot.  Under  cover  of  this 
cloud,  Higgins's  companions  had  escaped,  supposing  all 
who  were  left  to  be  dead.  Higgins's  horse  had  been 
shot  through  the  neck,  and  fell  on  its  knees,  but  rose 
again.  Believing  the  animal  to  be  mortally  wounded, 
he  dismounted,  but,  finding  that  the  wound  had  not 
disabled  him,  he  continued  to  hold  the  bridle,  for  he 
now  felt  confident  of  being  able  to  make  good  his 
retreat.  Yet,  before  he  did  this,  he  wished,  as  he 
said,  "  to  have  one  pull  at  the  enemy." 

For  this  purpose  he  looked  round  for  a  tree,  from 
behind  which  he  might  fire  in  safety.  There  was 
but  one,  and  that  was  a  small  elm;  but,  before  ho 
could  reach  it,  the  cloud  of  smoke,  partially  rising, 
disclosed  to  his  view  a  number  of  Indians,  none  of 
whom,  however,  discovered  him.  One  of  them  stood 
within  a  few  paces  of  him,  loading  his  gun ;  at  him 
Higgins  took  a  deliberate  aim,  fired,  and  the  Indian 
fell.     Still  concealed  by  the  smoke,  Higgins  reloaded 


300  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

his  gun,  mounted  his  horse,  and  turned  to  fly,  when 
a  low  voice  near  him  hailed  him  with, 

"  Tom,  you  won't  leave  me  ?" 

On  looking  round,  he  discovered  one  of  his  com- 
rades, named  Burgess,  who  was  lying  wounded  on 
the  ground,  and  he  instantly  replied,  "No,  I'll  not 
leave  you,  come  along,  and  I'll  take  care  of  you." 

"  I  can't  come,"  repHed  Burgess,  "  my  leg  is  smashed 
all  to  pieces." 

Higgins  sprang  from  his  saddle,  and,  taking  his 
companion  in  his  arms,  proceeded  to  lift  him  on  his 
horse,  telling  him  to  fly  for  his  life,  and  that  he  would 
make  his  own  way  on  foot.  But  the  horse,  taking 
fright  at  this  instant,  darted  off,  leaving  Higgins  with 
his  wounded  friend  on  foot.  Still  the  cool  bravery 
of  the  former  was  sufficient  for  every  emergency,  and, 
setting  Burgess  gently  down,  he  told  him,  "Now, 
my  good  fellow,  you  must  hop  off  on  your  three  legs, 
while  I  stay  between  you  and  the  Indians  to  keep 
them  off,"  instructing  him,  at  the  same  time,  to  get 
into  the  highest  grass,  and  crawl  as  close  to  the 
ground  as  possible.  Burgess  followed  his  advice,  and 
escaped  unnoticed. 

History  does  not  record  a  more  disinterested  act 
of  heroism  than  this  of  Tom  Higgins,  who,  having  in 
his  hands  the  certain  means  of  escape  from  such  im- 
minent peril,  voluntarily  gave  them  up,  by  offering 
his  horse  to  a  wounded  companion;  and  who,  when 
that  generous  intention  was  defeated,  and  his  own 
retreat  was  still  practicable,  remained,  at  the  hazard 
of  his  life,  to  protect  his  crippled  friend. 


WONDERFUL    ESCAPE    OF    TOM  HIGGINS.  301 

The  cloud  of  smoke,  which  had  partially  opened 
before  him  as  he  faced  the  enemy,  still  lay  thick  be- 
hind him ;  and,  as  he  plunged  through  this,  he  left  it, 
together  with  the  ridge  and  hazel  thicket,  between 
him  and  the  main  body  of  the  Indians,  and  was  re- 
tiring, unobserved  by  them.  Under  these  circum- 
stances, it  is  probable,  that,  if  he  had  retreated  in  a 
direct  line  towards  the  station,  he  might  have  easily 
effected  his  escape.  But  Burgess  was  slowly  crawl- 
ing away  in  that  direction,  and  the  gallant  Higgins 
foresaw,  that,  if  he  pursued  the  same  track,  and 
should  be  discovered,  his  friend  would  be  endangered. 
He,  therefore,  resolved  to  deviate  from  his  course  so 
far,  as  that  any  of  the  enemy  who  should  follow  him 
would  not  fall  in  with  Burgess.  With  this  intention, 
he  moved  warily  along  through  the  smoke  and 
bushes,  hoping,  when  he  emerged,  to  retreat  at  full 
speed.  But,  just  as  he  left  the  thicket,  he  beheld  a 
large  Indian  near  him,  and  two  more  on  the  other 
side,  in  the  direction  of  the  fort. 

Confident  in  his  own  courage  and  activity,  Tom 
felt  undismayed ;  but,  like  a  good  general,  he  deter- 
mined to  separate  the  foe  and  fight  them  singly. 
Making  for  a  ravine  not  far  off,  he  bounded  away ; 
but  soon  found  that  one  of  his  limbs  failed  him,  hav- 
ing received  a  ball  in  the  first  fire,  which  until  now 
he  had  hardly  noticed. 

The  largest  Indian  was  following  him  closely, 
Higgins  several  times  turned  to  fire ;  but  the  Indian 
would  halt  and  dance  about  to  prevent  him  from  tak- 
ing aim,  and  Tom  knew  that  he  could  not  afford  to 

2C 


302  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

fire  at  random.  The  other  two  were  closing  on  him, 
and  he  found  that,  unless  he  could  dispose  of  the 
first,  he  must  be  overpowered.  He  therefore  halted, 
and  resolved  to  receive  a  fire.  The  Indian,  at  a  few 
paces  distant,  raised  his  rifle.  Higgins  watched  his 
adversary's  eye,  and,  just  as  he  thought  his  finger 
pressed  the  trigger,  suddenly  turned  his  side  towards 
him.  It  is  probable  that  this  motion  saved  his  life, 
for  the  ball  entered  his  thigh,  which  otherwise  would 
have  pierced  his  body. 

Tom  fell,  but  rose  again  and  ran ;  the  largest  In- 
dian, certain  of  his  prey,  loaded  again,  and  then,  with 
the  two  others,  pursued.  Higgins  had  again  fallen, 
and,  as  he  rose,  they  all  three  fired,  and  he  received  all 
their  halls! 

He  now  fell  and  rose  several  times,  and  the  In- 
dians, throwing  away  their  rifles,  advanced  on  him 
with  spears  and  knives.  They  repeatedly  charged 
upon  him ;  but,  upon  his  presenting  his  gun  at  one 
or  the  other,  they  fell  back,  till  at  last  the  largest  of 
them,  thinking,  probably,  from  Tom's  reserving  his 
fire  so  long,  that  his  gun  was  empty,  attacked  him 
boldly,  when  Higgins,  taking  a  steady  aim,  shot  him 
dead.  With  four  bullets  in  his  body,  with  an  empty 
gun,  with  two .  Indians  before  him  and  a  whole  tribe 
a  few  rods  off*,  almost  any  other  man  would  have  de- 
spaired. But  Tom  Higgins  had  no  such  notion !  He 
had  slain  the  most  dangerous  of  his  foes,  and  he  felt 
but  little  fear  of  the  others.  He,  therefore,  faced 
them,  and  began  to  load  his  rifle.  They  raised  a 
whoop  and  rushed  on  him. 


WONDERFUL   ESCAPE   OF   TOM   HIGGINS.  303 

"  They  kept  their  distance  as  long  as  my  rifle  was 
loaded/'  said  he;  "but  when  they  knew  it  was  empty, 
they  were  better  soldiers." 

A  fierce  and  bloody  conflict  ensued.  The  Indians 
stabbed  him  in  many  places ;  but  it  happened,  fortu- 
nately for  Tom,  that  the  shafts  of  their  spears  were 
thin  poles,  which  had  been  hastily  prepared  for  the 
occasion,  and  which  bent  whenever  the  points  struck 
a  rib,  or  encountered  one  of  his  tough  muscles.  From 
this  cause,  and  the  continued  exertion  of  his  hands 
in  warding  off  their  thrusts,  the  wounds  they  made 
were  not  deep.  His  whole  front,  however,  was  co- 
vered with  gashes,  of  which  the  scars  yet  remain  in 
proof  of  his  valour. 

One  of  them  now  drew  his  tomahawk.  The  edge 
sunk  deep  into  Higgins's  cheek — passed  through  his 
ear — laid  bare  his  skull  to  the  back  of  his  head,  and 
stretched  him  on  the  plain.  The  two  Indians  rushed 
on ;  but  Tom,  instantly  recovering  his  self-possession, 
kept  them  off  with  his  feet  and  hands.  At  length 
he  succeeded  in  grasping  one  of  their  spears,  which, 
as  the  Indian  endeavoured  to  pull  it  from  him,  helped 
him  to  rise.  Now,  holding  his  rifle  like  a  club,  he 
rushed  on  the  nearest  of  his  foes  and  dashed  his 
brains  out,  in  doing  which  he  broke  the  stock  to 
pieces,  and  retained  only  the  barrel  in  his  hand. 

The  remaining  Indian,  though  wounded,  was  now 
by  far  the  most  powerful  man  ;  but  though  our  hero's 
strength  was  rapidly  failing,  his  courage  was  not  ex- 
hausted, and  the  savage  began  to  retreat  towards  the 
place  where  he  had  dropped  his  rifle.     Tom  in  the 


304  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

meanwhile  searched  for  the  gun  of  the  other  Indian. 
Thus  both,  though  bleeding  and  out  of  breath,  were 
in  search  of  arms  to  renew  the  combat. 

By  this  time  the  smoke,  which  hung  between  the 
combatants  and  the  main  body  of  Indians,  had  passed 
away,  and  a  number  of  the  latter  having  crossed  the 
hazel  thicket  were  in  full  view.  It  seemed,  therefore, 
that  nothing  could  save  our  valiant  ranger;  but 
relief  was  at  hand. 

The  little  garrison  at  the  fort  had  witnessed  the 
whole  of  this  remarkable  combat.  They  were  only 
six  in  number,  and  among  them  was  one  heroic  wo- 
man— a  Mrs.  Pursley.  When  she  saw  Higgins  con- 
tending singly  with  the  foe,  she  urged  the  men  to  go 
to  his  rescue ;  but  the  rangers  objected,  as  the  Indians 
outnumbered  them  ten  to  one.  Mrs.  Pursley  declared 
that  so  fine  a  fellow  as  Tom  should  not  be  lost  for 
want  of  help,  and,  snatching  a  rifle  out  of  her  hus- 
band's hand,  she  jumped  on  a  horse  and  sallied  out; 
while  the  men,  ashamed  to  be  outdone  by  a  woman, 
followed  at  full  gallop  towards  the  place  of  combat, 

A  scene  of  intense  interest  ensued.  The  Indians 
at  the  thicket  had  just  discovered  Tom,  and  were  ad- 
vancing toward  him  with  savage  yells ;  his  friends 
were  spurring  their  horses  to  reach  him  first.  Hig- 
gins, exhausted  from  loss  of  blood,  had  fallen  and 
fainted ;  his  adversary,  too  intent  on  his  prey  to  ob- 
serve any  thing  else,  was  looking  for  his  rifle. 

The  rangers  reached  the  battle-ground  first.  Mrs. 
Pursley  rode  up  to  Tom  and  offered  him  her  gun ; 
but  Tom  was  past  shooting.     His  friends  lifted  him 


WONDERFUL    ESCAPE    OF   TOM   HIGGINS.  305 

up,  threw  him  across  a  horse  before  one  of  the  party, 
and  turned  to  retreat  just  as  the  Indians  came  up. 
They  made  good  their  escape,  and  the  Indians  retired 
to  the  woods. 

After  being  carried  into  the  fort,  Tom  remained 
insensible  for  some  days.  His  life  was  preserved 
only  by  extreme  and  continued  care.  His  friends 
extracted  all  the  balls  except  two,  which  remained  in 
his  thigh.  One  of  these  gave  him  great  pain  at 
times  for  several  years,  although  the  flesh  was  healed. 
At  length  he  heard  that  a  skilful  physician  had  set- 
tled within  a  day's  ride  of  him,  and  Tom  determined 
to  go  and  see  if  he  could  help  him. 

The  physician  willingly  undertook  to  extract  the 
bullet;  but  on  condition  that  he  should  receive  the 
exorbitant  sum  of  fifty  dollars  for  the  operation. 
This  Tom  flatly  refused  to  give,  as  it  was  more  than 
half  a  year's  pension.  When  he  reached  home,  he 
found  that  the  exercise  of  riding  had  so  much 
chafed  the  part  that  the  ball,  which  usually  was  not 
discoverable  to  the  touch,  could  now  be  plainly  felt. 

He  requested  his  wife  to  hand  him  a  razor.  With 
her  assistance,  he  deliberately  laid  open  his  thigh 
until  the  edge  of  the  razor  touched  the  bullet.  Then 
inserting  both  his  thumbs  into  the  cut,  he  '^flirted  it 
out^'  as  he  said,  ^'without  costing  a  centr' 

The  other  ball  remains  in  his  limb  yet ;  but  gives 
him  no  trouble  except  when  he  uses  violent  exercise. 
He  is  now  one  of  the  most  successful  hunters  in  the 
country,  and  it  still  takes  the  lest  Jcind  of  a  man  to 
handle  him. 

39  2c2 


THRILLING   ADVENIURES. 


The  Crow  and  Sioux  Indians,  like  most  tribes  who 
subsist  by  hunting,  are  obliged  to  move  frequently 
from  place  to  place ;  and  the  manner  in  which  they  per- 
form one  of  the  migrations  is  both  singular  and  amus- 
ing. The  appointment  of  the  time  of  starting  is  left 
in  a  great  measure  to  the  chief.  A  few  hours  before  it 
arrives,  he  sends  criers  through  the  village,  announcing 
his  determination  to  move,  and  at  the  same  time  places 
the  signal,  always  observed  on  such  occasions,  at  his 
wigwam.  The  whole  village  is  now  in  commotion. 
Provisions,  household  goods,  and  clothing  are  bundled 
together ;  dogs  and  horses  are  yoked  to  burdens  twice 
their  own  size ;  children  are  slung  in  sacks,  and  placed 
on  their  mothers'  backs;  and  each  one  is  speedily- 
loaded  with  the  burden,  never  a  very  inconsiderable 
one,  which  he  is  to  bear  to  the  new  settlement.  The 
usual  order  of  arrangement  is  as  follows : — The  poles 
of  a  lodge  are  divided  into  two  bunches.  The  little 
ends  of  each  bunch  are  fastened  upon  the  shoulders 
of  a  horse,  leaving  the  other  ends  to  drag  upon  the 
ground  on  each  side.  Behind  the  horse  a  cross-piece 
connects  the  bunches  and  keeps  them  in  their  place. 
On  the  bunches  are  placed  the  lodge  or  tent  rolled  up, 
sundry  huge  articles  of  household  stuffs,  and  three  or 
four  women  and  children.  To  lead  each  horse,  which, 
under  the  circumstances,  would  appear  absolutely  ne- 
cessary, a  woman  goes  before  holding  the  bridle,  and 
carrying  on  her  shoulders  a  load  similar  in  size  to  that 


ii!i;y:'""^iiliiij|iliiiii"' 


THE    MURDERERS    CREEK.  309 

of  the  horse.  Occasionally  the  animal  carries  another 
woman  upon  his  back,  in  whose  arms  is  a  young  pa- 
poose affectionately  embracing  a  favourite  dog.  In 
this  manner,  five  or  six  hundred  wigwams,  with  all 
their  furniture,  are  moved  many  miles  at  once.  The 
cavalcade  is  drawn  out  to  an  immense  distance,  the 
men  mounted  on  good  horses,  numbering  more  than 
a  thousand,  and  the  number  of  canine  assistants  at 
least  five  times  that  number.  Each  dog  has  to  bear 
part  of  the  general  burden.  Two  poles  about  fifteen 
feet  long  are  placed  upon  his  shoulders,  in  the  same 
manner  as  the  lodge  poles  are  attached  to  the  horses, 
leaving  the  larger  ends  to  drag  upon  the  ground  be- 
hind him.  On  these  is  placed  a  bundle,  with  which 
he  trots  off,  keeping  up  with  the  caravan  until  night, 
and  only  stopping  when  there  seems  prospect  of  a 
battle  with  some  of  his  companions. 


There  is  a  little  stream  which  runs  into  that  most; 
beautiful  of  all  rivers,  the  noble  Hudson,  that  still 
bears  the  name  of  the  Murderer's  CreeJc,  though  few 
perhaps  can  tell  why  it  was  so  called.  About  a  cen- 
tury ago,  the  beautiful  region  watered  by  this  stream 
was  possessed  by  a  small  tribe  of  Indians,  which  has 
long  since  become  extinct,  or  incorporated  with  some 
more  powerful  nation  of  the  west.  Three  or  four  hun- 
dred yards  from  the  mouth  of  this  little  river,  a  white 


310  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

family  of  the  name  of  Stacey  had  established  itself 
in  a  log-house,  by  tacit  permission  of  the  tribe,  to 
whom  Stacey  had  made  himself  useful  by  his  skill  in 
a  variety  of  arts  highly  estimated  by  the  savages.  In 
particular  a  friendship  subsisted  between  him  and  an 
old  Indian,  called  Naoman,  who  often  came  to  his 
house,  and  partook  of  his  hospitality.  The  family 
consisted  of  Stacey,  his  wife,  and  two  children,  a  boy 
and  a  girl,  the  former  five,  and  the  latter  three  years 
old. 

The  Indians  never  forgive  injuries  nor  forget 
benefits. 

One  day  Naoman  came  to  Stacey's  log-house  in  his 
absence,  lighted  his  pipe  and  sat  down.  He  looked 
unusually  serious,  sometimes  sighed  deeply,  but  said 
not  a  word.  Stacey's  wife  asked  him  what  was  the 
matter, — if  he  were  ill?  He  shook  his  head,  but 
said  nothing,  and  soon  went  away.  The  next  day  he 
came,  and  behaved  in  the  same  manner.  Stacey's  wife 
began  to  think  there  was  something  strange  in  all 
this,  and  acquainted  her  husband  with  the  matter  as 
soon  as  he  came  home.  He  advised  her  to  urge  the 
old  man  to  explain  his  conduct,  in  case  he  should 
come  again,  which  he  did  the  following  day.  After 
much  importunity,  the  old  Indian  at  last  replied  to 
her  questions  in  this  manner.  "  I  am  a  red  man,  and 
the  pale  faces  are  our  enemies  :  why  should  I  speak  ?" 
"  But  my  husband  and  I  are  your  friends ;  you  have 
eaten  bread  with  us  a  hundred  times,  and  my  chil- 
dren have  sat  on  your  knees  as  often.  If  you  have 
any  thing  on  your  mind,  tell  it  me  now."     "  It  will 


THE    MURDERERS    CREEK.  311 

cost  me  my  life  if  it  is  known,  and  you  white-faced 
women  are  not  good  at  keeping  secrets,"  replied  Nao- 
man.  "  Try  me,  and  you  will  find  that  I  can,"  said 
she.  "  Will  you  swear  by  the  Great  Spirit  that  you 
will  tell  none  but  your  husband  ?"  "  I  have  no  one 
else  to  tell."  "  But  will  you  swear  ?"  "  I  do  swear 
by  our  Great  Spirit,  that  I  will  tell  none  but  my  hus- 
band." "  Not  if  my  tribe  should  kill  you  for  not 
telling  ?"  "  No,  not  though  your  tribe  should  kill  me 
for  not  telling."  Naoman  then  proceeded  to  tell  her, 
that  owing  to  the  frequent  encroachments  of  the  white 
people  on  their  land  at  the  foot  of  the  mountains,  his 
tribe  had  become  exceedingly  angry,  and  were  resolved 
that  night  to  massacre  all  the  white  settlers  within 
their  reach ;  that  she  must  send  for  her  husband,  and 
inform  him  of  the  danger,  and  as  secretly  and  speedily 
as  possible,  take  their  canoe,  and  paddle  with  all 
haste  over  the  river  to  Fishkill  for  safety.  "  Be  quick, 
and  cause  no  suspicion,"  said  Naoman,  as  he  departed. 

The  good  wife  instantly  sought  her  husband,  who 
was  down  on  the  river  fishing,  told  him  the  story,  and 
as  no  time  was  to  be  lost,  they  proceeded  to  their 
boat,  which  was  unluckily  filled  with  water.  It  took 
some  time  to  clear  it  out ;  and  meanwhile  Stacey  re- 
collected his  gun,  which  he  had  left  behind.  He  went 
to  his  house  and  returned  with  it.  All  this  took  a 
considerable  time,  iind  precious  time  it  proved  to  this 
poor  family. 

The  daily  visits  of  Naoman,  and  his  more  than 
ordinary  gravity,  had  excited  suspicion  in  some  of  his 
tribe,  who  therefore  now  paid  particular  attention  to 


812  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

the  movements  of  Stacey.  One  of  the  young  Indians 
who  had  been  kept  on  the  watch,  seeing  the  whole 
family  about  to  take  the  boat,  ran  to  the  little  Indian 
village,  about  a  mile  off,  and  gave  the  alarm. 

Five  stout  Indians  immediately  collected,  and  ran 
down  to  the  river,  where  their  canoes  were  moored, 
jumped  in,  and  paddled  after  Stacey,  who  by  this  time 
had  got  some  distance  out  into  the  stream.  They 
gained  upon  him  so  fast,  that  twice  he  dropped  his 
paddle  and  took  up  his  gun.  But  his  wife  prevented 
his  shooting,  by  telling  him  that  if  he  fired,  and  they 
were  afterwards  overtaken,  they  would  meet  with  no 
mercy  from  the  Indians.  He  accordingly  refrained, 
and  plied  his  paddle,  till  the  sweat  rolled  in  big  drops 
down  his  forehead.  All  would  not  do ;  they  were 
overtaken  within  a  hundred  yards  from  the  opposite 
shore,  and  carried  back  with  shouts  and  yells  of 
triumph. 

The  first  thing  the  Indians  did  when  they  got 
ashore,  was  to  set  fire  to  Stacey's  house.  They  then 
dragged  him,  his  wife  and  children,  to  their  village. 
Here  the  principal  old  men,  and  Naoman  among 
them,  assembled  to  deliberate  on  the  affair.  The  chief 
men  of  the  council  expressed  their  opinion  that  some 
of  the  tribe  had  been  guilty  of  treason,  in  apprizing 
Stacey,  the  white  man,  of  their  designs,  whereby  they 
took  alarm,  and  had  wellnigh  escaped.  They  pro- 
posed that  the  prisoners  should  be  examined  in  order 
to  discover  who  was  the  traitor.  The  old  men  as- 
sented to  this,  and  one  of  them  who  spoke  English 
began  by  interrogating  Stacey,  and  interpreted  what 


THE    murderer's    CREEK.  313 

was  said  to  the  others.  Stacey  refused  to  betray  his 
informant.  His  wife  was  then  questioned,  while  two 
Indians  stood  threatening  the  children  with  their 
tomahawks,  in  case  she  did  not  confess. 

She  attempted  to  evade  the  truth,  by  pretending 
that  she  had  a  dream  the  night  before,  which  had 
warned  her  to  fly,  and  that  she  had  persuaded  her 
husband  to  do  so.  "  The  Great  Spirit  never  deigns 
to  talk  in  dreams  to  the  white  faces,"  said  one  of  the 
old  Indians.  "  Woman,  thou  hast  two  tongues  and 
two  faces;  speak  the  truth,  or  thy  children  shall 
surely  die."  The  little  boy  and  girl  were  then  brought 
close  to  her,  and  the  two  savages  stood  over  them 
ready  to  execute  their  cruel  orders. 

"  Wilt  thou  name  that  red  man,"  said  the  old  In- 
dian, "  who  betrayed  his  tribe  ?  I  will  ask  thee  three 
times."  The  mother  made  no  answer.  "  Wilt  thou 
name  the  traitor  ?  This  is  the  second  time."  The 
poor  woman  looked  at  her  husband,  and  then  at  her 
children,  and  stole  a  glance  at  Naoman,  who  sat 
smoking  his  pipe  with  invincible  gravity.  She  wrung 
her  hands  and  wept,  but  remained  silent.  "Wilt 
thou  name  the  traitor  ?  I  ask  you  for  the  third  and 
last  time."  The  agony  of  the  mother  was  more  and 
more  intense :  again  she  sought  the  eye  of  Naoman, 
but  it  was  cold  and  motionless.  A  moment's  delay 
was  made  for  her  reply.  She  was  silent.  The  toma- 
hawks were  raised  over  the  heads  of  her  children,  who 
besought  their  mother  to  release  them. 

"  Stop,"  cried  Naoman.     All  eyes  were  instantly 
turned  upon  him.     "  Stop,"  repeated  he,  in  a  tone  of 

40  2D 


314  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

authority.  "  White  woman,  thou  hast  kept  thy  word 
with  me  to  the  last  moment.  Chiefs,  I  am  the 
traitor.  I  have  eaten  the  bread,  warmed  myself  at 
the  fire,  and  shared  the  kindness  of  these  Christian 
white  people,  and  it  was  I  who  told  them  of  their 
danger.  I  am  a  withered,  leafless,  branchless  trunk ; 
cut  me  down  if  you  will :  I  am  ready  to  fall." 

A  yell  of  indignation  resounded  on  all  sides.  Nao- 
man  descended  from  the  little  bank  of  earth  on  which 
he  sat,  shrouded  his  dark  countenance  in  his  bufialo 
robe,  and  calmly  awaited  his  fate.  He  fell  dead  at 
the  feet  of  the  white  woman,  by  the  blow  of  the 
tomahawk. 

But  the  sacrifice  of  Naoman,  and  the  heroic  firm- 
ness of  the  Christian  white  woman,  did  not  suffice  to 
save  the  lives  of  the  other  victims.  They  perished — 
how,  it  is  needless  to  say ;  but  the  memory  of  their 
fate  has  been  preserved  in  the  name  of  the  beautiful 
little  stream  on  whose  banks  they  lived  and  died, 
which  to  this  day  is  called  the  Murderers  Creek, 


The  scalp-dance,  says  Mr.  Catlin,  is  given  as  a  cele- 
bration of  a  victory ;  and  among  the  Sioux,  as  I  learned 
while  residing  with  them,  danced  in  the  night,  by  the 
light  of  their  torches,  and  just  before  retiring  to  bed. 
When  a  war-party  returns  from  a  war  excursion,  bring- 
ing home  with  them  the  scalps  of  their  enemies,  they 


THE    SCALP-DANCE.  817 

generally  "  dance  them"  for  fifteen  nights  in  succes- 
sion, vaunting  forth  the  most  extravagant  boasts  of 
their  wonderful  prowess  in  war,  while  they  brandish 
their  war  weapons  in  their  hands.  A  number  of 
young  women  are  selected  to  aid  (though  they  do 
not  actually  join  in  the  dance)  by  stepping  into  the 
centre  of  the  ring,  and  holding  up  the  scalps  that 
have  been  recently  taken,  while  the  warriors  dance 
(or  reitherjmnp)  around  in  a  circle,  brandishing  their 
weapons,  and  barking  and  yelping  in  the  most  fright- 
ful manner,  all  jumping  on  both  feet  at  a  time,  with 
a  simultaneous  stamp  and  blow,  and  thrust  of  their 
weapons,  with  which  it  would  seem  as  if  they  were 
actually  cutting  and  carving  each  other  to  pieces. 
During  these  frantic  leaps,  and  yelps,  and  thrusts, 
every  man  distorts  his  face  to  the  utmost  of  his  mus- 
cles, darting  about  his  glaring  eyeballs  and  snapping 
his  teeth,  as  if  he  were  in  the  heat,  and  actually 
breathing  through  his  inflated  nostrils  the  very  hiss- 
ing death,  of  battle !  No  description  that  can  be 
written  could  ever  convey  more  than  a  feeble  outline 
of  the  frightful  effect  of  these  scenes  enacted  in  the 
dead  and  darkness  of  night,  under  the  glaring  light 
of  their  blazing  flambeaux ;  nor  could  all  the  years 
allotted  to  mortal  man  in  the  least  obliterate  or  de- 
face the  vivid  impress  that  one  scene  of  this  kind 
would  leave  upon  his  memory. 

The  precise  object  for  which  the  scalp  is  taken  is 
one  which  is  definitely  understood,  and  has  already 
been  explained ;  but  the  motive,  or  motives,  for 
which  this  strict  ceremony  is  so  scrupulously  held 

2d2 


JS18  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

by  all  the  American  tribes  over  the  scalp  of  an  ene- 
my, is  a  subject  as  yet  not  satisfactorily  settled  in  my 
mind.  There  is  no  doubt  but  one  great  object  in 
these  exhibitions  is  public  exultation ;  yet  there  are 
several  conclusive  evidences  that  there  are  other  and 
essential  motives  for  thus  formally  and  strictly  dis- 
playing the  scalp.  Among  some  of  the  tribes,  it  is 
the  custom  to  bury  the  scalps  after  they  have  gone 
through  this  series  of  public  exhibitions,  which  may 
in  a  measure  have  been  held  for  the  purpose  of  giv- 
ing them  notoriety,  and  of  awarding  public  credit  to 
the  persons  who  obtained  them,  and  now,  from  a  cus- 
tom of  the  tribe,  are  obliged  to  part  with  them.  The 
great  respect  which  seems  to  be  paid  to  them  while 
they  use  them,  as  well  as  the  pitying  and  mournful 
song  which  they  howl  to  the  manes  of  their  unfortu- 
nate victims,  as  well  as  the  precise  care  and  solemnity 
with  which  they  afterwards  bury  the  scalps,  suffi- 
ciently convince  me  that  they  have  a  superstitious 
dread  of  the  spirits  of  their  slain  enemies,  and  many 
conciliatory  offices  to  perform  to  ensure  their  own 
peace — one  of  which  is  the  ceremony  above  described. 


^^jjtjitureg  of  am  InUun  SSKoman* 

The  life  of  an  Indian  woman,  even  though  she 
may  be  the  favourite  wife  of  a  great  chief,  is  always 
fraught  with  toil  and  drudgery.  The  men  will  go 
through  great  fatigue  in  war  or  in  hunting,  but  any 


ADVENTURES   OF   AN   INDIAN   WOMAN.  319 

thing  like  regular  work  they  scorn.  Scooping  out 
canoes,  building  their  huts,  dressing  the  skins  of  ani- 
mals, and  cultivating  the  earth,  are  labours  which 
fall  to  the  lot  of  the  squaw ;  but,  what  is  still  worse, 
they  are  obliged  to  carry  all  the  heavy  burdens  with- 
out any  assistance  from  their  husbands.  An  Indian 
hunter,  setting  out  in  the  morning  before  sunrise,  tra- 
verses the  country  for  many  miles  in  search  of  deer, 
and,  as  he  goes  along,  he  once  in  a  while  breaks  down 
a  bush  to  serve  as  a  mark  for  his  wife,  whose  business 
it  is  to  find  the  game  he  has  killed  and  carry  it  home, 
and,  as  the  animals  sometimes  lie  at  a  great  distance 
from  each  other,  and  she  can  carry  but  one  at  a  time, 
the  toil  she  then  encounters  is  truly  grievous. 

In  fishing  and  snaring  birds,  the  women  are  very 
successful,  and,  uniting  much  art  with  insurmounta- 
ble patience,  they  catch  great  numbers  of  geese  and 
ducks,  which  migrate  to  the  lakes  at  certain  seasons 
of  the  year.  To  snare  these  birds  in  their  nests  re- 
quires a  considerable  degree  of  art,  and,  as  the  na- 
tives say,  a  great  deal  of  cleanliness ;  for  they  have 
observed  that,  when  the  snares  have  been  set  by 
those  whose  hands  were  not  clean,  the  birds  would 
not  go  into  the  nest. 

Even  the  goose,  though  so  simple  a  bird,  is  noto- 
riously known  to  forsake  her  eggs,  if  they  have  been 
breathed  on  by  the  Indians. 

The  smaller  species  of  birds,  which  make  their 
nests  on  the  ground,  are  by  no  means  so  delicate, 
and  of  course  less  care  is  necessary  in  snaring  them. 
It  has  been  observed  that  all  birds  which  build  on  the 


320  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

ground,  go  into  their  nest  on  one  particular  side,  and 
out  of  it  on  the  opposite.  The  Indians,  being  accu- 
rate observers  of  nature,  are  well  aware  of  this  fact, 
and  always  set  their  snares  on  the  side  on  which  the 
bird  enters  the  nest ;  and,  if  care  be  taken  in  setting 
them,  seldom  fail  of  seizing  their  object.  For  small 
birds,  such  as  larks  and  many  others  of  equal  size, 
the  Indians  generally  use  two  or  three  of  the  long 
hairs  out  of  their  own  head;  but  for  larger  birds,  par- 
ticularly swans,  geese,  and  ducks,  they  make  snares 
of  deer  sinews,  twisted  like  pack-thread,  and  occa- 
sionally of  a  small  thong  cut  from  a  dressed  deer- 
skin. 

We  may  believe  that  women  so  trained  are  not 
very  delicate,  or  easily  daunted  by  any  diificulties 
that  may  befall  them ;  and,  in  proof  of  this,  I  will 
relate  an  anecdote  as  it  was  told  by  an  English  gen- 
tleman who  travelled  among  the  northern  Indians 
many  years  ago : — 

On  the  11th  of  January,  as  some  of  my  compa- 
nions were  hunting,  they  observed  the  track  of  a 
strange  snow-shoe,*  which  they  followed,  and  at  a 
considerable  distance  came  to  a  little  hut,  where  they 
discovered  a  young  woman  sitting  alone.  As  they 
found  she  understood  their  language,  they  brought 

*  Snow-shoes  are  from  three  to  four  feet  in  length,  and  more  than 
a  foot  wide  in  the  middle ;  they  are  sharp-pointed  at  both  ei^ds,  the 
frames  are  made  of  birch-bark,  and  they  are  netted  cross  and  cross 
with  thongs  of  deer-skin,  leaving  a  hole  just  big  enough  to  admit  the 
foot.  These  shoes,  being  large  and  light,  enable  the  Lidians  to 
travel  over  the  snow  with  great  facility 


ADVENTURES    OF    AN    INDIAN    WOMAN.  821 

her  with  them  to  our  tents.  On  examination,  she 
proved  to  be  one  of  the  western  Dog-ribbed  Indians, 
who  had  been  taken  prisoner  by  the  Athapuscow  In- 
dians two  summers  ago,  and  last  summer,  when  the 
Indians  that  took  her  prisoner  were  near  this  part, 
she  escaped  from  them,  with  the  intention  of  return- 
ing to  her  own  country;  but  the  distance  being  so 
great,  and  having,  after  she  was  taken  prisoner,  been 
carried  in  a  canoe  the  whole  way,  the  turnings  and 
windings  of  the  rivers  and  lakes  were  so  numerous, 
that  she  forgot  the  track;  so  she  built  the  hut  in 
which  we  found  her,  to  protect  her  from  the  weather 
during  the  winter,  and  here  she  had  resided  ever 
since  the  beginning  of  autumn. 

From  her  account  of  the  moons  past  since  her 
elopement,  it  appeared  that  she  had  been  nearly  seven 
months  without  seeing  a  human  face;  during  all 
which  time  she  had  supported  herself  very  well  by 
snaring  partridges,  rabbits,  and  squirrels;  she  had 
also  killed  two  or  three  beavers  and  some  porcupines. 
That  she  did  not  seem  to  have  been  in  want  is  evident, 
as  she  had  a  small  stock  of  provisions  by  her  when  she 
was  discovered.  She  was  also  in  good  health  and  con- 
dition, and  was  certainly  by  far  the  finest  looking 
Indian  woman  that  I  have  ever  seen  in  any  part  of 
America. 

The  methods  practised  by  this  poor  creature  to  pro- 
cure a  livelihood  were  truly  admirable,  proving  in- 
deed the  truth  of  the  old  proverb,  that  "  necessity  is 
the  mother  of  invention."  When  the  few  deer  sinews 
that  she  had  an  opportunity  of  taking  with  her  were 


41 


322  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

all  expended  in  making  snares  and  sewing  her  cloth- 
ing, she  had  nothing  to  supply  their  place  but  the 
sinews  of  the  rabbits'  legs  and  feet ;  these  she  twisted 
together  with  great  dexterity  and  success.  The  rab- 
bits and  squirrels  which  she  caught  in  her  snares,  not 
only  furnished  her  with  a  comfortable  subsistence, 
but  of  the  skins  she  made  a  suit  of  neat  and  warm 
clothing  for  the  winter.  •  .        ^ 

It  is  scarcely  possible  to  conceive  that  a  person  in 
her  forlorn  situation  could  be  so  composed  as  to  be 
capable  of  contriving  or  executing  any  thing  that  was 
not  absolutely  necessary  to  her  existence  j  but  there 
were  sufficient  proofs  that  she  had  extended  her  care 
much  further,  as  all  her  clothing,  besides  being  calcu- 
lated for  real  service,  showed  great  taste,  and  exhi- 
bited no  little  variety  of  ornament.  The  materials, 
though  rude,  were  very  curiously  wrought,  and  so 
judiciously  placed,  as  to  give  the  whole  of  her  garb  a 
very  pleasing,  though  rather  romantic  appearance. 

Her  leisure  hours  from  hunting  had  been  employed 
in  twisting  the  inner  rind  or  bark  of  willows  into 
small  lines,  like  netting-twine,  of  which  she  had  some 
hundred  fathoms  by  her ;  with  this  she  intended  to 
make  a  fishing-net  as  soon  as  the  spring  advanced. 
It  is  of  the  inner  bark  of  willows,  twisted  in  this 
manner,  that  the  Dog-ribbed  Indians  make  their  fish- 
ing nets;  and  they  are  greatly  preferable  to  those 
made  by  the  northern  Indians.* 

*  The  northern  Indians  make  their  fishing-nets  with  small  thongs 
cut  from  raw  deer-skins,  which,  when  dry,  appear  very  good ;  but, 
after  being  soaked  in  water  some  time,  grow  so  soft  and  slippery  that, 


ADVENTURES    OF    AN   INDIAN   WOMAN.  323 

Five  or  six  inches  of  an  iron  hoop  made  into  a 
knife,  and  the  shank  of  an  iron  arrow-head,  which 
served  her  as  an  awl,  was  all  the  metal  this  poor  wo- 
man had  with  her  when  she  eloped ;  and  with  these 
implements  she  had  made  herself  complete  snow- 
shoes,  and  several  other  useful  articles. 

Her  method  of  making  a  fire  was  equally  singular 
and  curious,  having  'no  other  materials  for  that  pur- 
pose than  two  hard  sulphureous  stones.  These,  by 
long  friction  and  hard  knocking,  produced  a  few 
sparks,  which,  at  length,  communicated  to  some 
touch-wood ;  but,  as  this  method  was  attended  with 
great  trouble,  and  not  always  with  success,  she  did 
not  suffer  her  fire  to  go  out  all  the  winter.  Hence 
we  may  conclude  that  she  had  no  idea  of  producing 
fire  by  friction  in  the  manner  practised  by  the  Esqui- 
maux and  other  uncivilized  nations ;  because,  if  she 
had,  the  above-mentioned  precaution  would  have  been 
unnecessary. 

When  the  Athapuscow  Indians  took  this  woman 
prisoner,  they,  according  to  the  universal  custom  of 
those  savages,  surprised  her  and  her  party  in  the 
night,  and  killed  every  one  in  the  tent  except  her- 
self and  Ihree  other  young  women.  Among  those 
whom  they  destroyed  were  her  father,  mother,  and 
husband.  Her  young  child,  between  four  and  five 
months  old,  she  concealed  in  a  bundle  of  clothing, 
and  took  with  her  undiscovered  in  the  night ;  but, 

when  large  fish  strike  the  net,  the  meshes  are  very  apt  to  slip  and 
let  them  escape.  Besides  this  inconvenience,  they  are  very  liable  to 
rot,  unless  they  be  frequently  taken  out  of  the  water  and  drieck 


324  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

when  she  arrived  at  the  place  where  the  Athapuscow 
Indians  had  left  their  wives,  (which  was  not  far  dis- 
tant,) they  began  to  examine  her  bundle,  and,  find- 
ing the  child,  one  of  the  women  took  it  from  her  and 
immediately  killed  it. 

This  last  piece  of  barbarity  gave  her  such  a  dis- 
gust towards  those  Indians,  that,  notwithstanding  the 
man  who  took  care  of  her  treated  her  in  every  re- 
spect as  well  as  he  did  his  wife,  and  was,  as  she  said, 
remarkably  kind  to  her,  so  far  was  she  from  being 
able  to  reconcile  herself  to  any  of  the  tribe,  that  she 
rather  chose  to  expose  herself  to  misery  and  want 
than  live  in  ease  and  abundance  among  persons  who 
had  so  cruelly  murdered  her  infant. 

In  a  conversation  with  this  woman  soon  after- 
wards, she  told  us  that  her  country  lies  so  far  to  the 
westward  that  she  had  never  seen  iron,  or  any  other 
kind  of  metal,  till  she  was  taken  prisoner.  All  of 
her  tribe,  she  observed,  made  their  hatchets  and  ice- 
chisels  of  deer's  horns,  and  their  knives  of  stones 
and  bones.  She  told  us  that  their  arrows  were  shod 
with  a  kind  of  slate,  bones,  or  deer's  horns ;  and  the 
instruments  which  they  employed  to  make  their 
wooden  utensils  were  nothing  but  beavers'  teeth. 
Though  they  had  frequently  heard  of  the  useful  ma- 
terials which  the  tribes  to  the  east  of  them  were  sup- 
plied with  from  the  white  men,  so  unwilling  were 
they  to  draw  neartr  for  the  sake  of  trading  in  iron, 
that,  on  the  contrary,  they  retreated  further  back,  to 
avoid  the  Athapuscow  Indians,  who  made  terrible 
slaughter  among  them  both  in  winter  and  summer. 


IP> 


An  Indian  Lodge. 


w. 


AN   INDIAN   LODGE.  327 


The  Blackfeet  and  the  Crows,  (says  Catlin,)  like 
the  Sioux  and  Asinneboins,  have  nearly  the  same 
mode  of  constructing  their  wigwam  or  lodge ;  in 
which  tribes  it  is  made  of  buffalo  skins  sewed  to- 
gether, after  being  dressed,  and  made  into  the  form 
of  a  tent ;  supported  within  by  some  twenty  or  thirty 
pine  .poles  of  twenty-five  feet  in  height,  with  an  apex 
or  aperture  at  the  top,  through  which  the  smoke 
escapes  and  the  light  is  admitted.  These  lodges,  or 
tents,  are  taken  down  in  a  few  minutes  by  the  squaws, 
when  they  wish  to  change  their  location,  and  easily 
transported  to  any  part  of  the  country  where  they 
wish  to  encamp ;  and  they  generally  move  some  six 
or  eight  times  in  the  course  of  the  summer,  following 
the  immense  herds  of  buffaloes  as  they  range  over 
these  vast  plains,  from  east  to  west  and  north  to 
south.  The  objects  for  which  they  do  this  are  two- 
fold: to  procure  and  dress  their  skins,  which  are 
brought  in,  in  the  fall  and  winter,  and  sold  to  the 
Fur  Company  for  white  man's  luxury,  and  also  for 
the  purpose  of  killing  and  drying  buffalo  meat,  which 
they  bring  in  from  their  hunts,  packed  on  their 
horses'  backs,  in  great  quantities;  making  pemican 
and  preserving  the  marrow-fat  for  their  winter  quar- 
ters, which  are  generally  taken  up  in  some  heavy- 
timbered  bottom,  on  the  banks  of  some  stream,  deep 
imbedded  within  the  surrounding  bluffs,  which  break 
off  the  winds  and  make  their  long  and  tedious  winter 


328  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

tolerable  and  supportable.  They  then  sometimes 
erect  their  skin-lodges  among  the  timber,  and  dwell 
in  them  during  the  winter  months;  but  more  fre- 
quently cut  logs  and  make  a  miserable  and  rude  sort 
of  log-cabin,  in  which  they  can  live  much  warmer 
and  better  protected  from  the  assaults  of  their  ene- 
mies, in  case  they  are  attacked ;  in  w^hich  case  a  log- 
cabin  is  a  tolerable  fort  against  Indian  weapons. 

The  Crows,  of  all  the  tribes  in  this  region,  or 
on  the  Continent,  make  the  most  beautiful  lodges. 
They  construct  them  as  the  Sioux  do,  and  make 
them  of  the  same  material;  yet  they  oftentimes 
dress  the  skins  of  which  they  are  composed  al- 
most as  white  as  linen,  and  beautifully  garnish 
them  with  porcupine  quills,  and  paint  and  orna- 
ment them  in  such  a  variety  of  ways  as  renders 
them  exceedingly  picturesque  and  agreeable  to  the 
eye.  I  have  procured  a  very  beautiful  one  of  this 
description,  highly  ornamented,  and  fringed  with 
scalp-locks,  and  sufficiently  large  for  forty  men  to 
dine  under.  The  poles  which  support  it  are  about 
thirty  in  number,  of  pine,  and  all  cut  in  the  Kocky 
Mountains,  having  been  some  hundred  years,  perhaps, 
in  use.  This  tent,  when  erected,  is  about  twenty-five 
feet  high,  and  has  a  very  pleasing  efiect,  with  the 
Great  or  Good  Spirit  painted  on  one  side,  and  the 
Evil  Spirit  on  the  other. 


SILOUEE.  829 


^ifoiuee* 


I 


There  cannot  be  a  more  unprincipled  and  vicious 
set  of  men  than  the  whites  who  dwell  on  the  bounda- 
ries between  civilized  men  and  the  Indians ;  they 
rob,  murder,  and  betray  them.  And  in  return,  taking 
a  dreadful  revenge  for  many  unprovoked  attaoks,  the 
Indians  frequently  destroy,  not  only  their  persecutors, 
but  their  whole  families  with  them. 

Virginia,  so  named  in  honour  of  Queen  Elizabeth, 
was  first  settled  by  English  colonists  about  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  years  ago.  On  one  particular  occasion, 
Colonel  Bird  was  employed  by  the  English  govern- 
ment to  transact  some  business  with  a  tribe  of  Chero- 
kee Indians.  It  unfortunately  happened  that  a  short 
time  before  he  went  among  them,  some  white  people 
had  seized  two  Indians  who  had  given  them  some 
trifling  offence,  and  had  most  unjustly  put  them  to 
death ;  and  the  Indians,  naturally  made  angry  at  such 
an  outrage,  determined  upon  taking  revenge  when- 
ever an  opportunity  should  oJBfer. 

The  wished-for  opportunity  was  now  presented  by 
the  appearance  of  Colonel  Bird  among  them,  and  pri- 
vate consultations  were  held  by  their  aged  men  as 
to  the  most  effectual  means  of  getting  him  into  their 
power,  and  making  him  the  sacrifice. 

Their  unfriendly  intentions  were  soon  perceived 
by  Colonel  Bird,  who,  although  he  was  by  no  means 
deficient  in  courage,  felt  that  he  had  just  cause  of 
alarm ;  for  he  knew  he  was  in  their  power,  without 

42  2e2 


330  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

means  either  of  escape  or  defence.  On  retiring  to 
rest,  he  could  not  help  reflecting  that  before  morning 
he  might  be  scalped,  or,  what  was  worse,  retained 
a  prisoner  to  be  tortured  for  their  savage  amusement. 
Several  nights  were  passed  in  sleepless  anxiety,  and 
In  vain  endeavours  to  contrive  some  plan  of  escape. 

Among  the  neighbouring  Cherokees  was  one  named 
Silou^e.  Besides  being  a  chief,  he  was  also  a  cele- 
brated pow-wow,  or,  as  we  should  say,  a  wizard,  or  a 
conjuror.  This  man  had  known  Colonel  Bird  for  a 
considerable  time,  and  had  even  eaten  with  him  at 
his  table.  Silou^e  therefore  felt  a  friendship  for  the 
colonel,  and  almost  every  night  came  to  his  tent,  and 
appeared  anxious  to  relieve  him.  He  told  him  not 
to  be  alarmed,  and  even  assured  him  that  the  Indians 
should  not  injure  him.  This  assurance  comforted 
Colonel  Bird  in  some  degree ;  but,  as  Silou^e  was  only 
one  among  many  chiefs,  he  feared  that  his  influence 
would  not  be  sufficient  to  protect  him  from  the  vio- 
lence of  the  revengeful  savages. 

At  length  a  general  council  of  the  chiefs  and  old 
men  of  the  tribe  was  held^  and,  contrary  to  Silou6e's 
expectation,  it  was  determined  that  Colonel  Bird 
should  be  put  to  death  in  revenge  for  the  loss  of  their 
countrymen.  It  was  in  vain  that  Silouee  earnestly 
pleaded  for  his  friend,  urging  that  he  had  no  hand  in 
the  murder  of  their  two  countrymen.  The  unani- 
mous decision  was  against  him. 

Two  warriors  were  now  despatched  to  Colonel 
Bird's  tent,  to  execute  the  cruel  sentence  that  had 
been  pronounced  against  him.     Silouee  insisted  on 


SILOUEE.  331 

accompanying  them.  On  reaching  the  tent,  Silou6e 
rushed  in  before  them,  threw  himself  on  the  bosom  of 
his  friend,  and,  as  soon  as  the  two  warriors  ap- 
proached, he  exclaimed,  "  This  man  is  my  fciend  j 
before  you  take  him,  you  must  kill  me." 

Overawed  by  the  magnanimous  determination  of 
Silouee,  the  warriors  returned  to  the  council  and  re- 
lated to  their  brethren  what  they  had  seen.  Indians 
entertain  the  greatest  respect  for  a  faithful  friend. 
The  consultation  was  renewed.  The  noble  conduct 
of  Silouee  touched  their  better  feelings,  and  altered 
their  purpose.  They  could  not  put  to  death  a  white 
man  who  was  the  friend  of  Silouee ;  they,  therefore, 
released  Colonel  Bird,  and  bid  him  go  to  his  home  in 
peace.  Silouee  was  his  guide  and  protector,  and  not 
till  they  came  in  sight  of  Colonel  Bird's  tent  did  he 
leave  him.  As  they  parted,  Silouee's  last  words  to 
his  friend  were,  "When  you  see  poor  Indian  in  fear 
of  death  from  cruel  white  men,  remember  Silouee." 

The  strong  tendency  to  superstition  in  the  Indian 
mind  furnishes  a  powerful  inducement  to  the  more 
bold  and  crafty  among  them  to  assume  the  character 
of  pow-wows,  medicine-men,  and  even  prophets. 

Every  thing  among  the  Indians  of  great  efficacy 
and  power — in  short,  every  thing  that  is  inexplicable — 
is  a  ^^  medicine,"  and  "  medicine-men"  are  held  in 
almost  as  great  respect  as  the  warriors  and  braves. 
"Medicine-men"  are  a  sort  of  jugglers,  and  they 
aflfect  much  mystery  in  preparing  and  administering 
their  nostrums.  Incredible  stories  are  related  of  their 
powers  and  performances,  many  of  which  we  pre- 


332  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

sume  never  took  place,  except  in  the  imaginations  of 
the  ignorant  hunters  and  trappers  who  were  imposed 
on  by  the  dexterity  of  these  audacious  quacks. 

A  medicine  is  also  a  charm  which  every  Indian,  who 
has  arrived  at  the  age  of  manhood,  carries  about  him. 
It  is  usually  the  dried  skin  of  some  animal,  such  as 
a  beaver,  an  otter,  a  fox,  weasel,  raven,  or  some  other 
bird;  but,  whatever  it  may  be,  it  is  preserved  by 
them  with  the  most  superstitious  care.  In  no  in- 
stance have  they  been  tempted  to  sell  a  *^  medicine"^ 
to  the  white  man,  however  great  the  price  offered ; 
and  at  their  death  it  is  invariably  buried  with  its 
owner.  • 

Some  years  after  Colonel  Bird's  life  had  been  saved 
by  Silouee,  he  became  a  Virginian  planter,  and  took 
up  his  residence  near  the  James  river,  where  he  cul- 
tivated tobacco.  Silou6e,  we  have  already  stated, 
was  ajpow-wow;  he  retained  his  friendship  for  Colonel 
Bird,  of  whom  he  was  now  a  near  neighbour.  Like 
many  of  his  nation,  he  had,  by  his  intercourse  with 
white  men,  acquired  a  great  taste  for  "  strong  wa- 
ters," as  they  call  intoxicating  spirits,  and  the  dignity 
of  the  chief  was  often  clouded  over  by  drunkenness. 
On  one  occasion.  Colonel  Bird  had  gone  to  another 
part  of  the  country,  forty  or  fifty  miles  distant,  on 
business,  and  had  left  the  care  of  his  plantation  to 
an  overseer.  The  tobacco  had  obtained  some  size, 
and  a  long  drought  coming  on,  there  was  a  prospect 
of  the  crop  being  much  injured.  One  day,  when  Si- 
louee came  to  the  plantation,  the  overseer  expressed 
great  regret  that  the  tobacco  was  taking  so  much 


SILOUEE.  333 

harm ;  "  indeed,"  continued  he,  "  it  will  be  entirely 
lost,  if  we  have  not  rain  soon." 

"  Well,"  said  the  Indian,  "  what  will  you  give  me 
if  I  bring  you  rain  ?" 

^'  You  bring  rain  ?"  said  the  overseer,  laughing. 

"  Me  can,"  said  the  Indian.  "  Give  me  two  bottles 
rum — only  two,  and  me  bring  rain  enough." 

The  overseer  cast  his  eyes  towards  the  heavens, 
but  could  discern  no  appearance  that  foretold  rain. 
To  gratify  the  Indian,  he  promised  to  give  him  the 
two  bottles  of  rum  when  Colonel  Bird  arrived,  in  case 
the  rain  should  come  speedily  and  save  the  crop  of 
tobacco. 

Silou^e  now  fell  to  pow-wowing  with  all  his  might, 
making  grimaces,  contorting  his  body,  and  uttering 
strange,  unintelligible  ejaculations. 

It  was  a  hot,  close  day,  and  it  so  happened  that 
towards  evening,  the  sky,  which  had  been  clear  for 
some  weeks,  clouded  over,  and  the  appearance  of  the 
heavens  was  strongly  in  favour  of  rain.  Before  mid- 
night, thunder  was  heard,  and  heavy  showers  of  rain 
watered  the  colonel's  plantation  thoroughly ;  while  it 
was  remarked  that  the  showers  were  so  partial  that 
the  neighbouring  plantations  were  left  almost  as  dry- 
as  they  were  before.  The  Indian  waited  quietly  till 
the  rain  was  over,  and  then  walked  away.  A  few 
days  after,  the  colonel  returned  to  the  plantation,  and, 
when  Silouee  heard  of  his  arrival,  he  went  immedi- 
ately to  visit  him. 

"  Master  Bird,"  said  he,  "  me  come  for  my  two  bot- 
tles rum." 


334  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

"  Your  two  bottles  of  rum,"  exclaimed  the  colonel, 
pretending  not  to  know  any  thing  of  the  mattery 
"  pray,  do  I  owe  you  two  bottles  of  rum  ?" 

"  You  do,"  replied  the  Indian. 

"  How  so  ?"  inquired  the  colonel. 

"  Me  bring  you  rain — me  save  your  crop,"  said  the 
Indian,  ' 

"  You  bring  rain,"  said  the  colonel ;  "  no  such 
thing." 

"  Me  did,"  persisted  the  Indian  ;  "  me  loved  you ; 
me  tell  overseer  give  two  bottles  rum,  and  then  me 
bring  rain.  Overseer  say  he  would ;  me  bring  cloud, 
then  rain ;  now  me  want  rum." 

"  You  saw  the  cloud,"  said  Colonel  Bird ;  "  you  are 
a  sad  cheat." 

"  Me  no  cheat,"  said  the  Indian  ;  "  me  saw  no  cloud; 
me  bring  cloud." 

"Well,  well,"  said  the  colonel,  "you  are  an  old 
friend,  and  you  shall  have  the  rum,  since  you  beg  so 
hard  for  it.  But  mind  you,  it  is  not  for  the  rain. 
The  Great  Spirit  sent  the  rain,  not  you." 

"  Well,"  said  the  Indian,  ''your  tobacco  had  rain 
upon  it — why  others  have  none  ?  Answer  that,  colonel, 
if  you  can." 

Although  the  North  American  Indians  have  never 
been  found  idolaters;  yetj  like  all  ignorant  people, 
they  are  exceedingly  superstitious.  Some  of  their 
superstitions,  connected  with  religious  beliefs,  are 
very  curious,  as  they  bear  so  much  resemblance  to  the 
Mosaic  account  of  the  Creation  and  the  Deluge  as  to 
leave  hardly  a  doubt  of  their  having  some  tradition 


SILOUEE.  335 

of  those  events ;  but,  from  the  art  of  writing  being 
totally  unknown  among  them,  the  wonder  is  that  any 
similarity  in  the  account  should  have  been  preserved 
through  so  many  ages. 

As  might  be  expected,  different  tribes  have  their 
own  peculiar  superstitions ;  but  all  agree  in  the  belief 
in  one  All-wise,  Supreme  Being,  whom  they  call  the 
Great  Spirit,  or  Master  of  Life ;  that  he  created  the 
world  and  all  good  things,  and  that  he  rewards  good 
actions,  both  in  this  world  and  in  a  future  life. 

Their  heaven,  or  place  of  reward,  they  imagine  to 
be  a  delightfully  warm  country,  where  game  of  all 
kinds  is  very  abundant,  and  where  corn  and  fruits 
grow  without  the  trouble  of  cultivation. 

Their  imagined  place  of  punishment  is  a  climate 
of  extreme  cold ;  barren,  and  covered  with  eternal 
snows.  The  torments  of  this  freezing  place  they  de- 
scribe as  the  most  excruciating ;  but  they  also  believe 
that  those  who  go  there  will  suffer  for  a  time  propor- 
tioned to  their  transgressions,  and  that  they  will  then 
be  admitted  into  the  land  of  happiness. 

Some  of  the  Indian  tribes  observe  an  annual  reli- 
gious ceremony,  for  which  great  preparations  are  made 
beforehand.  On  the  appointed  morning  there  ap- 
pears at  a  distance  a  man  whom  they  recognise  by 
the  name  of  Nu-mock-muck-a-nah,  which  means,  the 
first  or  only  man.  He  slowly  and  with  great  gravity 
enters  the  village,  telling  the  assembled  people  that 
he  is  just  arrived  from  the  West.  His  body  is  painted 
red ;  he  is  dressed  in  the  skins  of  white  wolves ;  his 
head-dress  is  made  of  ravens'  feathers,  and  in  his 


836  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

hand  he  carries  an  enormous  pipe.  At  his  approach, 
the  medicine-lodge,  which  till  then  had  been  most 
scrupulously  kept  shut,  is  thrown  open,  and  the  floor 
is  seen  strewn  with  green  willow  branches  and  the 
most  fragrant  herbs  that  can  be  collected.  It  is  like- 
wise whimsically  ornamented  with  buffalo  and  human 
sculls. 

The  first  man  now  proceeds  to  every  lodge  or  wig- 
wam that  composes  the  village,  and  demands  from 
each  a  knife,  an  axe,  or  some  such  tool;  and  these 
are  readily  given  to  be  sacrificed ;  "  for,  with  these 
things,"  say  they,  "  the  great  canoe  was  built." 

These  articles  are  then  deposited  in  the  medicine- 
lodge,  with  profound  veneration,  until  the  ceremonies 
are  all  over,  and  they  are  then  sacrificed  by  being 
thrown  into  the  water. 

At  sunrise,  on  the  following  morning,  Nu-mock- 
muck-aruah  opens  and  enters  the  medicine-lodge ;  a 
number  of  young  men  follow  him,  who,  after  lying 
on  the  floor  in  perfect  silence  and  fasting  till  their 
strength  is  almost  exhausted,  voluntarily  submit  to 
the  most  cruel  tortures,  during  which  several  annu- 
ally perish ;  but  those  who  survive  are  recompensed 
by  having  acquired  the  honourable  title  of  "  Braves," 
and  the  hope  of  this  distinction  enables  them  to  en- 
dure the  most  agonizing  pain  without  flinching. 

The  conductor  of  the  ceremonies  now  enters  the 
lodge.  He  is  painted  yellow,  and  wears  a  cap  of  buf- 
falo skin ;  he  receives  the  great  pipe  from  the  first 
man^  who  immediately  leaves  the  lodge  and  returns 
to  the  West,  not  to  make  his  appearance  again  till 
the  next  annual  celebration. 


SILOUEE.  337 

During  the  first  three  days,  there  is  a  great  va- 
riety of  dances  and  curious  songs  and  ceremonies  per- 
fortned  in  front  of  the  medicine-lodge,  by  persons  fan- 
tastically dressed  and  painted  for  the  occasion.  They 
are  performed  round  an  elevated  mound  of  earth, 
about  six  feet  in  diameter,  and  as  many  in  height,  on 
the  top  of  which  is  placed  with  the  greatest  venera- 
tion a  model  of  "  the  great  canoed 

The  principal  actors  in  this  scene  are  eight  per  sons  ^^ 
variously  painted  and  nearly  naked,  but  all  carrying 
wreaths  of  willow  in  their  hands ;  the  season  when 
this  interesting  ceremony  takes  place  being  uniformly 
as  soon  as  this  tree  is  in  full  leaf;  for  the  Indians 
say  that  'Hhe  twig  which  the  dove  brought  to  the  great 
canoe  had  leaves  upon  it."  They  consider  this  bird  as 
sacred,  and  never  attempt  to  destroy  it. 

On  the  third  day,  in  the  midst  of  all  this  dancing 
and  festivity,  the  village  appears  to  be  suddenly 
thrown  into  the  utmost  confusion  by  the  approach  of 
a  man  who  is  seen  running  about  apparently  in  great 
trouble.  He  is  naked  and  painted  black,  with  the 
exception  of  his  face,  which  is  frightfully  daubed 
with  red  and  white.  He  is  called  by  the  Indians  the 
^^Evil  Spirit!'  He  runs  from  lodge  to  lodge,  and  be- 
haves with  the  greatest  rudeness  to  all  whom  he 
meets ;  but  he  is  constantly  frustrated  in  his  evil  de- 
signs by  the  conductor,  who  thrusts  his  great  pipe  be- 
tween him  and  those  whom  he  assails.  At  length  he 
is  fairly  driven  out,  and  the  village  is  again  restored 
to  tranquillity. 

*  The  numbers  of  persons  who  went  into  the  ark. 
43  2F 


338  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 


9SL  9®uffffll0  ?^uttt. 

The  buffalo  hunt  is,  next  to  an  Indian  battle,  the 
most  intensely  exciting  scene  which  may  be  witnessed 
among  the  wilds  of  the  West.  To  the  buffalo,  the 
Indian  looks  for  food,  for  clothing,  and  for  religious 
and  household  implements.  The  hunting  of  that  ani- 
mal he  regards  as  a  duty  as  well  as  a  pleasure ;  and 
when  once  it  is  rumoured  through  a  village  that  a  herd 
of  buffaloes  is  in  sight,  then  warriors  who  have  faced 
death  in  a  hundred  forms  bring  out  their  swiftest 
horses  and  spring  upon  them ;  and  when  the  whole 
party  rushes  across  the  field  to  engage  the  bellowing 
herd,  a  scene  is  presented  for  which  it  would  be  vain 
to  look  for  a  parallel,  not  merely  amid  the  tame  for- 
malities of  civilized  life,  but  even  among  the  deserts 
and  cane-brakes  of  Africa  or  the  jungles  of  India. 

The  Indians  have  several  methods  of  attacking 
buffaloes.  The  most  exciting,  as  well  as  most  danger- 
ous one,  is  that  in  which  they  surround  the  herd  for 


A    BUFFALO   HUNT.  341 

the   purpose   of  destroying  it.     The  hunters,  well 
mounted  on  their  buffalo  horses,  and  armed  with  bows 
and  arrows  or  long  lances,  divide  themselves  into  two 
columns,  take  opposite  directions,  and  at  the  distance 
of  a  mile  or  more  draw  gradually  around  the  herd, 
and  having  formed  a  circle,  close  upon  their  prey  at 
regular  distances.     On   perceiving  the  danger,  the 
herd  run  in  the  opposite  direction,  but  the  horsemen 
rush  in  full  speed  to  their  front,  and  by  brandishing 
their  weapons  and  yelling,  they  turn  the  dense  mass 
in  an  opposite  direction.     Here  they  are  met  and 
foiled  in  a  similar  manner.     By  this  means,  the  hun- 
ters soon  unite  their  parties,  thus  forming  a  continu- 
ous line  around  the  herd.     By  this  time  the  buffaloes 
are  wheeling  about  in  a  crowded  and  confused  mass, 
wounding  and  climbing  upan  each  other.     Then  the 
work  of  death   commences.     Galloping  round   and 
round,  the   fierce   hunters   drive   their   arrows  and 
lances  to  the  hearts  of  their  trembling  victims.  Some- 
times the  animals,  infuriated  by  deadly  wounds,  plunge 
furiously  forward,  and,  bearing  down  horse  and  rider, 
gore  and  crush  the  former,  while  the  Indian  escapes 
by  running.     Sometimes  the  herd  suddenly  divides 
into  two;  and  the  horsemen,  blinded  by  clouds  of  dust, 
are  wedged  in  among  the  crowding  beasts,  when  their 
only  chance  of  escape  is  to  leap  over  the  backs  of  the 
herd,  leaving  the  horses  to  their  fate.    Occasionally  a 
buffalo  selects  a  particular  horseman  and  pursues  him 
at  full  speed,  until,  when  stooping  to  lift  the  horse 
upon  his  horns,  he  receives  in  the  side  the  warrior's 
shaft.     Some  of  the  Indians,  when  pursued,  throw 

2f2 


342  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

their  buffalo  robe  over  the  horns  and  eyes  of  the  in- 
furiated animal,  and  dashing  by  its  side,  drive  their 
weapon  to  its  heart.  Others  suddenly  dash  off"  upon 
the  prairies  in  pursuit  of  the  few  who  have  separated 
from  the  throng.  These  are  soon  brought  down.  In 
a  few  minutes  the  hunt  is  changed  into  a  desperate 
battle,  and  gradually  the  whole  mass  of  buffaloes 
sink  in  death. 

A  new  scene  immediately  succeeds  the  work  of  car- 
nage. The  hunters,  leading  their  horses  by  the  bridle, 
move  among  the  dead  and  dying  animals,  and  draw- 
ing the  weapons  from  their  sides,  claim  their  prey  by 
the  private  marks  on  the  arrows.  "  Among  the  poor 
affrighted  creatures  (says  an  eye-witness  to  one  of 
these  scenes)  that  has  occasionally  dashed  through  the 
ranks  of  their  enemy,  and  sought  safety  in  flight  upon 
the  prairie,  I  saw  them  stand  a  while  looking  back, 
when  they  turned,  and  as  if  bent  on  their  own  de- 
struction, retraced  their  steps  and  mingled  themselves 
and  their  deaths  with  those  of  the  dying  throng. 
Others  had  fled  to  a  distance  on  the  prairies,  and  for 
want  of  company  had  stood  and  gazed  on  until  the 
battle  scene  was  over,  when  they  fell  easy  victims  to 
the  pursuer's  weapons." 

After  all  the  animals  have  been  claimed,  the  war- 
riors hold  a  council,  and,  after  smoking  a  few  pipes, 
ride  into  their  village  to  announce  the  result.  Of 
course  every  thing  is  there  in  commotion,  and  soon 
long  processions  of  dogs  and  women  issue  forth,  skin 
and  cut  up  the  prey,  and  return  amid  loud  acclama- 
tions to  their  homes. 


SUFFERINGS    OF    BARD's   FAMILY.  843 


^uf^dttgj}  d  ©fflptak  MmV^  iFaimilg. 

The  cruelty  of  the  Indians  to  their  captives  taken 
in  war  is  proverbial.  A  detail  of  the  tortures  which 
they  formerly  inflicted  upon  such,  would  shock  and 
sicken  the  modern  reader.  Happily  these  atrocities  are 
now  much  less  common  than  formerly,  even  among 
the  tribes  which  still  retain  their  primitive  strength 
and  independence.  The  silent,  but  powerful  influence 
of  association  or  intercourse  with  the  whites  has  not 
failed  to  produce  a  gratifying  effect ;  while  the  com- 
paratively small  number  of  wars  among  different 
tribes  tends  io  render  them  more  friendly  in  peace, 
more  humane  in  war.  But  when  the  entire  tract  from 
the  Alleghanies  to  the  Pacific  swarmed  with  fierce 
and  populous  tribes,  embroiled  in  endless  wars  with 
each  other,  and  possessing  nothing  in  common,  save 
hatred  to  the  English  settlers,  the  sufferings  endured 
by  the  unfortunates  who  fell  into  Indian  hands  were 
indeed  dreadful.  Perhaps  no  States  suffered  more 
than  Virginia  and  Pennsylvania.  The  history  .of  our 
western  counties,  Alleghany,  Westmoreland,  Bedford, 
and  others,  is  one  continuous  narrative  of  massacre, 
conflagration,  and  devastation. 

The  family  of  Richard  Bard  resided  on  the  Carroll 
tract,  in  Adams  county.  On  the  13th  of  April,  1758, 
his  house  was  attacked  by  nineteen  Delaware  Indians. 
Bard  and  his  wife,  two  children,  a  servant  boy,  and 
Lieutenant  Potter,  a  relative,  were  within.  As  the 
foremost  Indians  rushed  in,  one  of  them  aimed  a  blow 


344  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

at  Potter  with  a  large  cutlass ;  this  he  dodged  and 
wrested  the  weapon  from  the  owner.  Bard  snapped 
a  pistol,  which  alarmed  the  savages,  and  they  retreated 
from  the  house.  But  the  odds  were  so  great  that 
Bard,  fearing  they  would  fire  the  house,  surrendered. 
Two  other  men  and  a  boy  were  taken  in  a  field,  and 
the  Indians,  having  plundered  the  house  and  fired  the 
adjoining  mill,  set  out  on  their  return. 

By  this  time  the  neighbourhood  had  become  alarmed, 
and  a  party  of  white  men  were  forming  to  pursue  the 
savages.  Aware  of  this,  the  latter  hurried  their  re- 
treat toward  the  Alleghanies.  Now  the  sufferings  of 
the  prisoners  began.  At  a  little  distance  from  the 
house.  Potter  was  killed  and  scalped ;  soon  after  the 
smaller  child  was  tomahawked  and  scalped.  One  of 
the  men  found  in  the  field  shared  a  like  fate.  The 
remaining  prisoners  were  hurried  through  forests  and 
over  mountains,  and  subjected  to  every  extreme  of 
toil  and  hunger.  A  council  was  held  to  determine 
upon  Bard's  fate.  At  its  close  one  half  of  his  face  was 
painted  red,  to  indicate  that  the  warriors  were  equally 
divided  respecting  his  fate.  Toward  evening  he  was 
employed  with  his  wife  in  picking  a  turkey.  At  this 
time  some  of  the  Indians  were  lying  down,  and  others 
amusing  themselves  with  articles  of  dress.  Bard  re- 
solved on  attempting  an  escape,  and  communicated 
the  design  to  his  wife.  Soon  after  being  sent  to  a 
spring  for  water,  he  effected  his  purpose,  while  Mrs. 
Bard  amused  the  Indians  with  one  of  her  gowns. 
After  an  unsuccessful  search,  they  proceeded  to  fort 
Duquesne  and  thence  down  the  river  to  Kuskusky. 


SUFFERINGS    OF   BARD's   FAMILY.  845 

Here  the  Indians  pulled  and  scratched  the  faces  of 
Mrs.  Bard  and  her  children,  and  then  beat  them  in 
an  unmerciful  manner.  Daniel  McManimy,  one  of 
the  captured  men,  was  detained  outside  the  town. 
The  Indians  surrounded  him,  beat  him  with  sticks 
and  tomahawks,  tied  him  to  a  post,  tortured  him  with 
burning  coals  and  scalped  him.  They  passed  red-hot 
gun  barrels  over  his  body,  and  stabbed  him  with 
bayonets  heated  to  fusing  until  he  expired. 

After  this  tragedy  the  Indians  separated  Mrs.  Bard 
from  her  children,  and  carried  her  into  one  of  their 
councils.  Two  squaws  approached  and  struck  her  on 
the  face ;  but  this  insult  was  condemned  by  the  war- 
riors as  a  breach  of  decorum.  A  chief  took  her  by 
the  hand,  and  delivered  her  to  two  Indians  as  a  sub- 
stitute for  a  deceased  sister.  She  lived  as  such  about 
a  month,  and  was  then  taken  to  the  head  waters  of 
the  Susquehanna.  The  journey  was  so  fatiguing  that 
she  was  taken  sick,  and  remained  so  nearly  two  months. 
She  remained  in  captivity  two  years  and  ^ye  months, 
when  she  was  ransomed,  together  with  her  children, 
by  Mr.  Bard.  He,  after  effecting  his  escape,  had  wan- 
dered about  from  one  settlement  to  another,  in  quest 
of  his  wife ;  and  on  more  than  one  occasion  narrowly 
escaped  death  from  the  Indians.  He  afterwards  lived 
on  friendly  terms  with  one  of  the  Indians  who  had 
acted  as  brother  to  his  wife. 


44 


346  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 


BlacWkSJ^ 


Among  the  first  tribes  of  the  Great  Oregon  Terri- 
tory, which  estabUshed  friendly  intercourse  with  the 
United  States  traders,  were  the  Omahas.  The  boast 
of  these  Indians  was  a  chief  named  Blackbird,  who 
was  a  steadfast  friend  of  the  white  men  and  the  ter- 
ror of  the  neighbouring  hostile  tribes.  Such  were 
his  skill,  courage,  and  success  in  war,  that  friends  and 
foes  regarded  him  as  enchanted.  He  delighted  in 
trials  of  strength  or  agility,  in  which  he  always  came 
off  victorious.  In  addition  to  these  qualities,  he  pos- 
sessed a  secret  which  rendered  him  more  than  human 
in  the  eyes  of  his  barbarous  followers.  This  was  an 
acquaintance  with  the  properties  of  arsenic,  which  he 
had  obtained  from  a  white  trader.  Whenever  he  was 
displeased  with  an  Indian,  he  prophesied  his  death 
before  a  certain  day,  and  the  sure  accomplishment  of 
the  prophecy  rendered  Blackbird  an  object  of  terror 
and  reverence. 

On  one  occasion  the  Poncas  made  an  incursion  into 
Blackbird's  territory,  and  carried  away  a  number  of 
women  and  horses.  He  immediately  collected  his 
warriors  and  pursued  them.  The  Poncas  sheltered 
themselves  behind  a  rude  embankment,  but  their  per- 
severing enemy,  gaining  a  good  position,  poured  upon 
them  a  well-directed  fire,  which  did  fearful  execu- 
tion. The  Ponca  chief  despatched  a  herald  with  the 
calumet,  but  he  was  immediately  shot;  a  second 
herald  experienced  the  same  treatment.     The  chief- 


BLACKBIRD.  347 

tain's  daughter,  a  young  maiden  of  much  personal 
beauty,  then  appeared  before  the  stern  foe,  dressed 
with  exquisite  taste,  and  bearing  the  calumet.  Black- 
bird's heart  softened,  he  accepted  the  sacred  emblem, 
and  concluded  a  peace  with  his  enemy.  The  pledge 
given  and  received  was  the  beautiful  Ponca  maiden, 
as  wife  to  the  fierce  chieftain  of  Omaha. 

For  the  first  time  the  heart  of  Blackbird  felt  the 
genial  influence  of  love.  He  loved  the  young  crea- 
ture who  had  saved  her  tribe,  with  all  the  ardour  of 
untutored  nature.  But  he  was  still  a  savage,  and 
sometimes  ungovernable  bursts  of  rage  would  trans- 
port him  beyond  all  bounds  of  affection  or  decency. 
In  one  of  these,  his  beloved  wife  unwittingly  offended 
him.  He  instantly  drew  his  knife  and  laid  her  dead 
with  a  single  blow.  The  dreadful  deed  calmed  him 
in  a  moment.  For  a  little  while  he  looked  at  the 
beautiful  corpse  i^  stupid  grief,  and  then,  with  his 
head  wrapped  in  his  robe,  he  sat  down  beside  it.  He 
ate  no  food,  spake  no  word  for  three  days.  The  re- 
monstrances of  his  people  were  received  with  silence, 
and  no  one  dared  to  uncover  his  face.  At  length  one 
of  them  brought  in  a  small  child,  and  placed  the  foot 
of  the  unhappy  warrior  on  its  neck.  Blackbird  was 
moved  by  the  significant  appeal,  and  throwing  aside 
his  robe,  he  arose  and  delivered  an  oration. 

The  Omaha  tribe  were  greatly  thinned  by  small- 
pox, and  to  this  loathsome  disease  their  great  chief- 
tain fell  victim.  His  dying  request  was  bold  and  fan- 
ciful. Near  the  source  of  the  Missouri  is  a  high  soli- 
tary rock,  round  which  the  river  winds  in  a  nearly 


348  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

circular  direction,  and  which  commands  a  view  of  the 
adjacent  country  for  many  miles  around.  There  Black- 
bird had  often  sat  to  watch  for  the  canoes  of  the  white 
traders,  and  there  it  was  his  dying  request  to  be 
buried.  He  was  to  be  mounted  upon  his  horse,  com- 
pletely armed,  so  as  to  overlook  his  lands,  and  watch 
for  the  coming  boat  of  the  white  men.  His  orders 
were  obeyed ;  and  on  that  same  high  promontory,  over 
the  tomb  of  the  Indian  warrior  was  raised  his  national 
banner,  capped  with  the  scalps  which  he  had  taken 
in  battle.  Of  course  the  Indians  regard  the  rock  with 
superstitious  reverence,  and  have  their  own  stories  of 
the  scenes  which  occasionally  take  place  on  and 
around  it. 


This  ceremony  seems  to  be  peculiar  to  the  Assin- 
neboin  Indians.  A  small  fire  is  made  on  a  hard-trod- 
den pavement  in  front  of  the  village,  and  round  this 
the  dancers,  generally  young  men,  collect — each 
seated  upon  a  buffalo  robe  spread  on  the  ground. 
The  presiding  genius  is  a  chief,  sometimes  a  medicine- 
man, who,  with  a  long  pipe  in  his  hand,  seats  him- 
self by  the  fire,  and  smokes  with  a  fervour  and  per- 
severance worthy  the  dignity  of  an  Indian  ceremony. 
Occasionally  he  harmonizes  the  surrounding  uproar  by 
a  song  uttered  in  half-strangled  gutturals,  intelligible 
only  to  himself.    Meanwhile^  an  equally  august  per- 


ESCAPE  FROM  TORTURE.  351 

sonage  beats  on  a  drum,  modifying  its  music  by  a 
song,  wholly  independent  of  the  pipe-smokers.  In  a 
little  while,  one  of  the  young  men  leaps  from  the 
ground,  and,  while  singing  in  time  with  the  taps  of  the 
drum,  leaps  about  off  of  one  foot  and  on  to  the  other 
in  the  most  violent  manner.  In  this  way  he  goes 
round  the  circle  several  times,  brandishing  his  fists  in 
the  face  of  each  one  seated,  and  at  length  jerking  one 
of  them  forcibly  to  his  feet.  Both  now  dance  and 
sing,  until  at  length  another  is  dragged  out,  who,  in 
his  turn,  drags  another.  The  whole  party  then  join 
in  frightful  yells,  and  gesticulations  so  violent  that 
the  earth  seems  to  shake  under  their  feet.  Mean- 
while, the  master  of  ceremonies  sits  with  the.  utmost 
coolness,  puffing  clouds  of  smoke,  and  merrily  grunt- 
ing his  inimitable  song.  The  dance  usually  lasts 
nearly  an  hour,  and  closes  with  piercing  yells  and 
barkings,  like  those  uttered  by  frightened  dogs. 


A  RENOWNED  Muscoghce  warrior,  named  Old 
Scranny,  was  taken  prisoner  by  the  Shawanoe  war- 
riors and  condemned  to  the  fiery  torture.  After  beat- 
ing him  with  their  customary  barbarity,  he  was  tied 
to  a  stake  and  subjected  to  the  most  exquisite  suffer- 
ings. These  he  bore  with  entire  unconcern ;  at  the 
same  time  returning  the  taunts  of  his  persecutors 


352  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

with  all  the  scorn  of  an  Indian  warrior.  He  called 
them  squaws  and  old  women;  told  them  that  his 
fame  in  his  own  nation,  which  was  great,  had  all 
been  achieved  at  their  expense ;  that  they  knew  not 
how  to  die,  and  he  longed  to  teach  them.  He  con- 
fessed that,  through  some  impurity  or  other,  he  had 
forfeited  the  protection  of  the  Great  Spirit,  and  de- 
served to  die ;  but  that  he  still  retained  virtue  suffi- 
cient to  enable  him  to  punish  himself  much  more 
effectually  than  they  could.  This  he  engaged  to 
prove,  if  they  would  release  him  and  hand  him  one 
of  the  hot  gun-barrels  out  of  the  fire.  The  proposal 
was  rendered  more  bold  by  his  manner  of  making  it; 
and  the  curiosity  of  the  Indians  being  excited,  they 
agreed  to  grant  him  an  opportunity. 

He  was  not  slow  in  furnishing  an  exhibition  of  his 
skill.  No  sooner  had  he  laid  hold  of  the  gun-barrel, 
then,  brandishing  it  from  side  to  side,  he  forced  his 
way  through  the  armed  but  astonished  multitude, 
leaped  down  a  high,  steep  precipice  into  the  river, 
dived  through  it,  ran  over  a  small  island,  passed  an- 
other bank,  amid  a  shower  of  bullets  from  the  garri- 
son at  New  Windsor,  and  gained  a  thick  bramble 
bush,  where  he  remained  secure.  From  this  he  soon 
after  started ;  and,  though  numbers  of  his  eager  ene- 
mies were  in  pursuit,  he  succeeded  in  reaching  his 
own  tribe.  He  was  ever  afterwards  a  terrible  scourge 
to  the  Shawanoes. 


PERILOUS  ADVENTURE    OF    CAPTAIN   BRADY.       358 


In  the  days  when  there  were  more  red  men  than 
white  in  western  Pennsylvania,  little  parties,  each 
under  a  favourite  leader,  were  frequently  sent  into 
the  woods  as  rangers,  to  guard  against  surprise.  One 
of  these,  commanded  by  Captain  Samuel  Brady,  was 
sent  into  "  French  Creek  country,"  in  Butler  county. 
On  reaching  the  waters  of  Slippery  Eock,  a  branch 
of  the  Beaver,  he  discovered  an  Indian  trail,  and  pur- 
sued it  until  dark.  On  the  following  morning,  he 
recommenced  the  pursuit,  and  came  up  with  the  In- 
dians while  they  were  seated  at  breakfast.  He  im- 
mediately fired.  Suddenly  he  also  received  a  fire 
from  the  rear ;  and  now  perceived,  for  the  first  time, 
that  he  had  himself  been  pursued  by  a  second  party 
of  Indians.  He  was  now  between  two  parties.  The 
battle  cry  of  those  in  the  rear  was  fiercely  answered 
by  those  in  front.  Two  of  his  men  fell  at  the  first 
fire,  and  his  own  tomahawk  was  shot  from  his 
side.  There  being  no  chance  of  successful  defence, 
Brady's  men  fled  in  all  directions.  The  captain  was 
well  known  to  the  ]Jndians  as  one  of  their  most  dan- 
gerous foes,  and,  thirsting  for  revenge,  they  passed  by 
his  men  so  as  to  secure  him.  The  country  was  un- 
known to  him,  and  he  unconsciously  took  the  road 
to  the  creek,  the  channel  of  which  ran  between  deep 
and  precipitous  banks,  twenty-three  feet  apart.  Sure 
of  securing  their  enemy,  the  Indians  uttered  a  yell 

45 


354  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

of  triumph  as,  throwing  down  their  guns,  they  seized 
their  tomahawks  and  bent  forward  to  the  chase. 

The  captain  had,  long  before  this,  resolved,  as  a 
rule  of  conduct,  never  to  be  captured  by  the  Indians. 
Oh  observing  the  creek,  he  comprehended  at  a  glance 
what  was  his  only  chance  of  escape,  and,  summoning 
his  every  effort,  he  sprang  toward  the  opposite  shore. 
A  moment  after,  the  Indians  arrived  to  see  their  prey 
on  the  bank  coolly  loading  his  rifle.  "  Brady  make 
good  jump,"  exclaimed  the  chief,  as  he  darted  away 
in  a  zigzag  course  to  avoid  the  captain's  fire.  Soon 
after,  Brady  met  his  remaining  three  men  at  a  place 
previously  appointed,  and  the  little  party  set  out  for 
Pittsburgh.  Three  Indians  had  been  seen  to  fall  by 
their  first  fire. 


Narratives  of  revenge  and  bloodshed  should  be 
interesting  to  an  enlightened  mind  only  so  far  as,  by 
illustrating  human  nature,  they  may  be  rendered 
effectual  in  reforming  it.  The  morbid  mind,  which 
can  dwell  upon  scenes  of  horror  only  for  the  purposes 
of  curiosity  and  amusement,  might,  if  divested  of  the 
restraints  of  civilized  society,  join  the  untutored  sa- 
vage in  his  war-whoop  and  scalp-dance.  The  intrin- 
sic difference  between  the  wild  red  man  and  the  edu- 
cated w^hite  man  lies  not  so  much  in  the  training  of 
the  head  as  of  the  heart;  and,  while  we  condemn 


STORY    OF    INDIAN   REVENGE.  355 

the  former  for  his  cruelty  and  thirst  for  revenge,  it 
would  be  well  for  us  to  beware  of  imbibing  an  appe- 
tite of  mere  curiosity  for  the  narratives  in  which  such 
characteristics  are  set  forth. 

In  September,  1823,  an  Indian,  named  Abraham 
Antone,  was  executed  for  murder  in  Madison  county, 
New  York.  The  history  of  this  individual  is  a  pic- 
ture of  some  of  the  darkest  passions  of  human  na- 
ture. He  never  forgot  an  injury,  and  never  failed  to 
avenge  one.  When  angry,  his  appearance  was  fright- 
ful. One  evening,  on  entering  his  wigwam,  he  found  his 
child,  about  five  months  old,  crying.  Snatching  it  from 
the  mother's  arms,  he  buried  it  in  a  bed  of  hot  coals, 
accompanying  the  action  with  expressions  which 
made  even  the  Indian  mother  tremble.  In  1810,  his 
daughter  Mary  became  attached  to  a  young  man, 
member  of  another  tribe,  but  who  soon  left  her  for  a 
more  agreeable  partner.  Nature  had  bequeathed  to 
Mary  a  portion  of  her  father's  disposition.  She  visited 
her  rival,  stabbed  her  to  the  heart,  and  was  executed 
at  Smithfield.  A  gentleman,  named  Jacobs,  who  had 
been  active  in  her  arrest,  was  the  principal  witness 
against  her.  Antone  threatened  to  kill  him,  and  Jar 
cobs,  knowing  that  such  a  promise  from  his  enemy 
was  never  compromised,  left  the  county.  Thus  foiled, 
the  Indian  changed  his  tactics,  acknowledged  the  in- 
justice of  his  former  threat,  and  invited  his  victim  to 
return.  He  did  return,  and  had  an  interview  with 
Antone,  while  hoeing  corn  with  a  number  of  men  in  a 
field.  The  Indian  grasped  his  hand,  exclaiming 
"  How  d'ye  do,  brother,"  and  stabbed  him  three  times 


356  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

under  the  ribs  with  a  long  knife,  which  he  held  in 
his  sleeve.  Before  the  bystanders  could  recover  from 
their  horror,  he  uttered  a  loud  yell  and  bounded 
away.  That  night  a  party  of  Indians  set  out  in  pur- 
suit of  him.  He  had  encamped  in  a  thick  copse 
of  underbrush,  and  was  provided  with  dogs  to  give 
alarm  if  any  one  approached.  In  his  rear  he  had, 
with  much  labour,  cut  a  path  in  the  almost  impassa- 
ble thicket.  The  plan  completely  succeeded — An- 
tone  fleeing  through  the  narrow  path  at  the  first 
alarm  and  effecting  his  escape.  Soon  after  a  party 
of  about  thirty  white  men  and  Indians  traced  him  to 
a  second  hiding-place;  but  again  he  succeeded  in 
escaping.  After  this  he  went  constantly  armed  with 
a  rifle,  two  or  three  knives,  and,  as  was  supposed,  a 
brace  of  pistols.  Besides,  he  was  generally  accom- 
panied by  his  two  sons,  well  armed,  and  one  or  two 
of  his  brothers.  On  one  occasion  two  large  Indians, 
having  ascertained  that  Antone  was  alone,  repaired 
to  his  camp  for  the  purpose  of  capturing  him.  He 
was  making  a  broom  ;  but,  hearing  a  rustling  at  the 
entrance  of  the  thicket,  he  quickly  seized  his  rifle, 
and,  as  the  foremost  entered,  pointed  it  toward  him, 
declaring  that'  if  he  advanced  a  step  further  he  would 
shoot  him  dead.  They  stopped,  and,  after  parleying 
for  some  time,  withdrew.  His  rifle  was  unloaded! 
The  adventure  increased  his  recklessness.  He  boasted 
of  having  scared  two  Indians  with  an  empty  rifle, 
and  at  length  passed  through  the  towns  and  villages 
in  open  day. 

At  his  trial  he  pleaded  not  guilty.     The  witnesses 


MANDAN   BULL    DANCE.  857 

against  him  were  principally  Indians  ;  but  their  tes- 
timony was  given  with  carefulness  and  precision,  and 
the  evidence  was  conclusive.  His  counsel  rested  the 
defence  on  the  ground  that  New  York  had  no  crimi- 
nal jurisdiction  over  the  Indian  tribes  within  her  ter- 
ritory ;  but  this  the  court  overruled,  and  An  tone  was 
sentenced  to  be  hanged  on  Friday,  September  12, 1823. 
In  his  character,  the  evils  of  savage  life  and  of  civil- 
ized society  were  blended,  while,  apparently,  he  was 
destitute  of  the  manly  virtues  of  the  one,  and  of  the 
softening  influence  of  the  other. 


The  Bull  Dance  is  one  of  the  great  religious 
ceremonies  of  the  Mandans,  preparatory  to  the  cruel 
ordeal  through  which  their  young  men  pass  before 
they  are  admitted  to  the  dignity  of  braves.  These 
religious  rites  are  held  annually,  and  the  inhabitants 
of  each  village  look  forward  to  their  return  with  deep 
interest.  The  occasion  brings  together  men,  women, 
and  children,  and  such  is  the  effect  of  superstition, 
that  the  stoutest  warriors  tremble  on  account  of  the 
evil  influence  which  at  that  time  is  supposed  to  per- 
vade the  air.  The  great  mystery  lodge  is  opened, 
strown  with  herbs  and  boughs  and  adorned  with 
groupes  of  buffalo  and  of  human  skulls.  During  the 
first  day  a  mysterious  personage,  known  as  the  First 


358  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

or  only  many  passes  from  one  lodge  to  another,  relating 
the  sad  catastrophe  which  had  happened  on  the  earth's 
surface  by  the  overflowing  of  the  waters,  and  affirm- 
ing "  that  he  was  the  only  person  saved  from  the  uni- 
versal calamity;  that  he  landed  his  big  canoe  on  a 
high  mountain  in  the  west,  where  he  now  resides,  that 
he  had  come  to  open  the  medicine  lodge  which  must 
needs  receive  a  present  of  some  edged  tool  from  the 
owner  of  every  wigwam,  that  it  may  be  sacrificed  to 
the  water,  for  if  this  is  not  done  there  will  be  another 
flood,  and  no  one  will  be  saved,  as  it  was  with  such 
tools  that  the  big  canoe  was  made."  The  tool  is 
always  given,  and  deposited  in  the  medicine  lodge. 
During  the  night,  no  one  is  able  to  ascertain  where 
this  strange  being  sleeps ;  all  living  things  are  kept 
within  doors,  and  dead  silence  reigns  throughout  the 
village.  On  the  following  morning  he  again  appears, 
followed  by  the  young  men  who  are  candidates  for 
torture,  and  who,  with  their  leader,  enter  the  medicine 
lodge.  Here  they  remain  for  four  days,  fasting  and 
praying  to  the  Great  Spirit.  During  this  period  they 
are  cut  off  from  intercourse  with  the  villages,  and 
meanwhile,  the  Bull  Dance  takes  place  outside.  ^  The 
ceremony  is  thus  described  by  Catlin 

"  This  very  curious  and  exceedingly  grotesque  part 
of  their  performance,  one  of  the  avowed  objects  for 
which  they  held  this  annual  fete ;  and  to  the  strictest 
observance  of  which  they  attribute  the  coming  of 
buffaloes  to  supply  them  with  food  during  the  season — 
is  repeated  four  times  during  the  first  day,  eight  times 
on  the  second  day,  twelve  times  on  the  third  day,  and 


^  MANDAN  BULL   DANCE.  361 

sixteen  times  on  the  fourth  day ;  and  always  around 
the  curb,  or  '  hig  canoe,'  of  which  I  have  before  spoken. 

"  The  principal  actors  in  it  were  eight  men,  with 
the  entire  skins  of  buffaloes  thrown  over  their  backs, 
with  the  horns  and  hoofs  and  tails  remaining  on;  their 
bodies  in  a  horizontal  position,  enabling  them  to  imi- 
tate the  actions  of  the  buffalo,  whilst  they  were  look- 
ing out  of  its  eyes  as  through  a  mask. 

"  The  bodies  of  these  men  were  chiefly  naked,  and 
all  painted  in  the  most  extraordinary  manner,  with 
the  nicest  adherence  to  exact  similarity ;  their  limbs, 
bodies,  and  faces,  being  in  every  part  covered,  either 
with  black,  red,  or  white  paint.  Each  one  of  these 
strange  characters  had  also  a  lock  of  buffalo's  hair 
tied  around  his  ancle — in  his  right  hand  a  rattle,  and 
a  slender  white  rod  or  staff,  six  feet  long,  in  the  other ; 
and  carried  on  his  back,  a  bunch  of  green  willow 
boughs,  about  the  usual  size  of  a  bundle  of  straw. 
These  eight  men,  being  divided  into  four  pairs,  took 
their  positions  on  the  four  different  sides  of  the  curb 
or  big  canoe,  representing  thereby  the  four  cardinal 
points ;  and  between  each  group  of  them,  with  the 
back  turned  to  the  big  canoe,  was  another  figure,  en- 
gaged in  the  same  dance,  keeping  step  with  them, 
with  a  similar  staff  or  wand  in  one  hand  and  a  rattle 
in  the  other,  and  (being  four  in  number)  answering 
again  to  the  four  cardinal  points.  The  bodies  of  these 
four  young  men  were  chiefly  naked,  with  no  other 
dress  upon  them  than  a  beautiful  kelt  or  quartz-quaw, 
around  the  waist,  made  of  eagles'  quills  and  ermine, 
and  very  splendid  head-dresses  made  of  the  same 

46  2H 


362  THRILLING    ADVENTURES.  * 

materials.  Two  of  these  figures  were  painted  en- 
tirely black  with  pounded  charcoal  and  grease,  whom 
they  called  the  ^  firmament  or  night/  and  the  numer- 
ous white  spots  which  were  dotted  all  over  their  bodies, 
they  called  '  stars.*  The  other  two  were  painted  from 
head  to  foot  as  red  as  vermilion  could  make  them ; 
these  they  said  represented  the  day,  and  the  white 
streaks  which  were  painted  up  and  down  over  their 
bodies,  were  ^  ghosts  which  the  morning  rays  were 
chasing  away.' 

"  This  most  remarkable  scene,  then,  which  is  wit- 
nessed more  or  less  often  on  each  day,  takes  place  in 
presence  of  the  whole  nation,  who  are  generally 
gathered  around,  on  the  tops  of  the  wigwams  or  other- 
wise, as  spectators,  whilst  the  young  men  are  reclin- 
ing and  fasting  in  the  lodge  as  above  described.  On 
the  first  day,  this  ^  hull  dance  is  given  once  to  each 
of  the  cardinal  points,  and  the  medicine-man  smokes 
his  pipe  in  those  directions.  On  the  second  day, 
twice  to  each ;  three  times  to  each  on  the  third  day, 
and/(?i«r  times  to  each  on  the  fourth.  As  a  signal  for 
the  dancers  and  other  characters  (as  well  as  the  pub- 
lic) to  assemble,  the  old  man,  master  of  ceremonies, 
with  the  medicine-pipe  in  hand,  dances  out  of  the 
lodge,  singing  (or  rather  crying)  forth  a  most  pitiful 
lament,  until  he  approaches  the  big  canoe,  against 
which  he  leans,  with  the  pipe  in  his  hand,  and  con- 
tinues to  cry.  At  this  instant,  four  very  aged  and 
patriarchal  looking  men,  whose  bodies  are  painted  red, 
and  who  have  been  guarding  the  four  sides  of  the 
lodge,  enter  it  and  bring  out  the  four  sacks  of  water, 


^ 


M AND AN   BULL    DANCE.  863 


I 


which  they  place  near  the  big  canoe,  where  they  seat 
themselves  by  the  side  of  them  and  commence  thump- 
ing on  them  with  the  mallets  or  drum  sticks  which 
have  been  lying  on  them;  and  another  brandishes 
and  shakes  the  eeh-na-dees  or  rattles,  and  all  unite  to 
them  their  voices,  raised  to  the  highest  pitch  possible, 
as  the  music  for  the  hull  dance,  which  is  then  com- 
menced and  continued  for  fifteen  minutes  or  more  in 
perfect  time,  and  without  cessation  or  intermission. 
When  the  music  and  dancing  stop,  which  are  always 
perfectly  simultaneous,  the  whole  nation  raise  the 
huzza!  and  a  deafening  shout  of  approbation;  the 
master  of  ceremonies  dances  back  to  the  medicine- 
lodge,  and  the  old  men  return  to  their  former  place ; 
the  sacks  of  water,  and  all  rest  as  before,  until  by  the 
same  method  they  are  again  called  into  a  similar 
action. 

"  The  supernumeraries  or  other  characters  who 
play  their  parts  in  this  grand  spectacle  are  numerous 
and  well  worth  description.  By  the  side  of  the  big 
canoe  are  seen  two  men  with  the  skins  of  grizzly  bears 
thrown  over  them,  using  the  skins  as  a  mask,  over 
their  heads.  These  ravenous  animals  are  continually 
growling  and  threatening  to  devour  every  thing  before 
them,  and  interfering  with  the  forms  of  their  religious 
ceremony.  To  appease  them,  the  women  are  con- 
tinually bringing  and  placing  before  them  dishes  of 
meat,  which  are  as  often  snatched  up  and  carried  to 
the  prairie,  by  two  men  whose  bodies  are  painted 
black  and  their  heads  white,  whom  they  call  bald 
eagles,  who  are  darting  by  them  and  grasping  their 


364  THRILLING    ADVENTURES.  Hf 

food  from  before  them  as  they  pass.  These  are  again 
chased  upon  the  plains  by  a  hundred  or  more  small 
boys,  who  are  naked,  with  their  bodies  painted  yellow 
and  their  heads  white,  whom  they  call  Cahris  or  ante- 
lopes ;  who  at  length  get  the  food  away  from  them  and 
devour  it;  thereby  inculcating  (perhaps)  the  beauti- 
ful moral,  that  by  the  dispensations  of  Providence,  his 
bountiful  gifts  will  fall  at  last  to  the  hands  of  the  in- 
nocent. 

"  During  each  and  every  one  of  these  dances,  the  old 
men  who  beat  upon  the  sacks  and  sing,  are  earnestly 
chanting  forth  their  supplications  to  the  Great  Spirit, 
for  the  continuation  of  his  influence  in  sending  them 
•  buffaloes  to  supply  them  with  food  during  the  year; 
they  are  administering  courage  and  fortitude  to  the 
young  men  in  the  lodge,  by  telling  them,  that  '  the 
Great  Spirit  has  opened  his  ears  in  their  behalf — that 
the  very  atmosphere  all  about  them  is  peace — that 
their  women  and  children  can  hold  the  mouth  of  the 
grizzly  bear — that  they  have  invoked  from  day  to 
day  0-ke-hee-de  (the  evil  spirit) — that  they  are  still 
challenging  him  to  come,  and  yet  he  has  not  dared  to 
make  his  appearance !' 

"  But  alas !  in  the  last  of  these  dances,  on  the  fourth 
day,  in  the  midst  of  all  their  mirth  and  joy,  and  about 
noon,  and  in  the  height  of  all  these  exultations,  an 
instant  scream  burst  forth  from  the  tops  of  the  lodges ! 
— men,  women,  dogs  and  all,  seemed  actually  to  howl 
and  shudder  with  alarm,  as  they  fixed  their  glaring 
eye-balls  upon  the  prairie  bluff,  about  a  mile  in  the 
west,  down  the  side  of  which  a  man  was  seen  des- 


^  MANDAN   BULL    DANCE.  365 

cending  at  full  speed  towards  the  village!  This 
strange  character  darted  about  in  a  zig-zag  course  in 
all  directions  on  the  prairie,  like  a  boy  in  pursuit  of  a 
butterfly,  until  he  approached  the  piquets  of  the  vil- 
lage, when  it  was  discovered  that  his  body  was  entirely 
naked,  and  painted  as  black  as  a  negro,  with  pounded 
charcoal  and  bear's  grease ;  his  body  was  therefore 
everywhere  of  a  shining  black,  except  occasionally 
white  rings  of  an  inch  or  more  in  diameter,  which 
were  marked  here  and  there  all  over  him ;  and  fright- 
ful indentures  of  white  around  his  mouth,  resembling 
canine  teeth.  Added  to  his  hideous  appearance,  he 
gave  the  most  frightful  shrieks  and  screams  as  he 
dashed  through  the  village  and  entered  the  terrified 
group,  which  was  composed  (in  that  quarter)  chiefly 
of  females,  who  had  assembled  to  witness  the  amuse- 
ments which  were  transpiring  around  the  ^  big  canoe.' 

"  This  unearthly-looking  creature  carried  in  his  two 
hands  a  wand  or  staff  of  eight  or  nine  feet  in  length, 
with  a  red  ball  at  the  end  of  it,  which  he  continually 
slid  on  the  ground  a^head  of  him  as  he  ran.  All  eyes 
in  the  village,  save  those  of  the  persons  engaged  in 
the  dance,  were  centred  upon  him,  and  he  made  a 
desperate  rush  towards  the  women,  who  screamed  for 
protection  as  they  were  endeavouring  to  retreat ;  and 
falling  in  groups  upon  each  other  as  they  were 
struggling  to  get  out  of  his  reach.  In  this  moment 
of  general  terror  and  alarm  there  was  an  instant 
check !  and  all  for  a  few  moments  were  as  silent  as 
death. 

"  The  old  master  of  ceremonies,  who  had  run  from 

2h2 


366  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

his  position  at  the  big  canoej  had  met  this  monster  of 
fiendsj  and  having  thrust  the  medicine-pvpe  before  him, 
held  him  still  and  immovable  under  his  charm! 
This  check  gave  the  females  an  opportunity  to  get 
out  of  his  reach,  and  when  they  were  free  from  their 
danger,  though  all  hearts  beat  yet  with  the  instant 
excitement,  their  alarm  soon  cooled  down  into  the 
most  exorbitant  laughter  and  shouts  of  applause  at 
his  sudden  defeat,  and  the  awkward  and  ridiculous 
posture  in  which  he  was  stopped  and  held.  The  old 
man  was  braced  stiff  by  his  side,  with  his  eye-balls 
glaring  him  in  the  face,  w^hilst  the  medicine-pipe  held 
in  its  mystic  chains  his  Satanic  Majesty,  annulling 
all  the  powers  of  his  magical  wand,  and  also  depriv- 
ing him  of  the  power  of  locomotion  !  Surely  no  two 
human  beings  ever  presented  a  more  striking  group 
than  these  two  individuals  did  for  a  few  moments, 
with  their  eye-balls  set  in  direst  mutual  hatred  upon 
each  other;  both  struggling  for  the  supremacy,  relying 
on  the  potency  of  their  medicine  or  mj^'stery.  The 
one  held  in  check,  with  his  body  painted  black,  repre- 
senting (or  rather  assuming  to  be)  his  sable  majesty, 
0-kee-hee-de,  (the  evil  spirit,)  frowning  vengeance  on 
the  other,  who  sternly  gazed  him  back  with  a  look  of 
exultation  and  contempt,  as  he  held  him  in  check  and 
disarmed  under  the  charm  of  his  sacred  mystery-pipe. 
"When  the  superior  powers  of  the  medicine-pipe 
(on  which  hang  all  these  annual  mysteries)  had  been 
thus  fully  tested  and  acknowledged,  and  the  women  had 
had  requisite  time  to  withdraw  from  the  reach  of  this 
fiendish  monster,  the  pipe  was  very  gradually  with- 


1HA.NDAN   BULL    DANCE.  367 

drawn  from  before  him,  and  he  seemed  delighted  to 
recover  the  use  of  his  limbs  again,  and  power  of 
changing  his  position  from  the  exceedingly  unpleas- 
ant and  really  ridiculous  one  he  appeared  in,  and  was 
compelled  to  maintain,  a  few  moments  before;  ren- 
dered more  superlatively  ridiculous  and  laughable, 
from  the  further  information,  which  I  am  constrained 
to  give,  of  the  plight  in  which  this  demon  of  terror 
and  vulgarity  made  his  entrSe  into  the  midst  of  the 
Mandan  village,  and  to  the  centre  and  nucleus  of  their 
first  and  greatest  religious  ceremony.      *     *     *     * 

"  In  this  plight  he  pursued  the  groups  of  females, 
spreading  dismay  and  alarm  wherever  he  went,  and 
consequently  producing  the  awkward  and  exceedingly 
laughable  predicament  in  which  he  was  placed  by  the 
sudden  check  from  the  medicine-pipe,  as  I  have  above 
stated,  when  all  eyes  were  intently  fixed  upon  him, 
and  all  joined  in  rounds  of  applause  for  the  success 
of  the  magic  spell  that  was  placed  upon  him ;  all 
voices  were  raised  in  shouts  of  satisfaction  at  his  de- 
feat, and  all  eyes  gazed  upon  him ;  of  chiefs  and  of 
warriors — matrons  and  even  of  their  tender-aged  and 
timid  daughters,  whose  education  had  taught  them  to 
receive  the  moral  of  these  scenes  without  the  shock  of 
impropriety,  that  would  have  startled  a  more  fastidi 
ous  and  consequently  sensual-thinking  people. 

"After  repeated  attempts  thus  made,  and  thus  de- 
feated in  several  parts  of  the  crowd,  this  blackened 
monster  was  retreating  over  the  ground  where  the 
bufialo-dance  was  going  on,  and  having  swaggered 
against  one  of  the  men  placed  under  the  skin  of  a 


368  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

buffalo  and  engaged  in  the  ^  bull  dance/  he  started 
back,  and  placed  himself  in  the  attitude  of  a  buffalo. 

"  After  this  he  paid  his  visits  to  three  others  of  the 
eight,  in  succession,  receiving  as  before  the  deafening 
shouts  of  approbation  which  pealed  from  every  mouth 
in  the  multitude,  who  were  all  praying  to  the  Great 
Spirit  to  send  them  buffaloes  to  supply  them  with 
food  during  the  season,  and  who  attribute  the  coming 
of  buffaloes  for  this  purpose  entirely  to  the  strict  and 
critical  observance  of  this  ridiculous  and  disgusting 
part  of  the  ceremonies. 

"During  the  half  hour  or  so  that  he  had  been 
jostled  about  amongst  men  and  beasts,  to  the  great 
amusement  and  satisfaction  of  the  lookers-on,  he 
seemed  to  have  become  exceedingly  exhausted,  and 
anxiously  looking  out  for  some  feasible  mode  of 
escape. 

"In  this  awkward  predicament  he  became  the 
laughing-stock  and  butt  for  the  women,  who  being  no 
longer  afraid  of  him,  were  gathering  in  groups  around, 
to  tease  and  tantalize  him ;  and  in  the  midst  of  this 
dilemma,  which  soon  became  a  very  sad  one — one  of 
the  women,  who  stole  up  behind  him  with  both  hands 
full  of  yellow  dirt — dashed  it  into  his  face  and  eyes, 
and  all  over  him,  and  his  body  being  covered  with 
grease,  took  instantly  a  different  hue.  He  seemed 
heart-broken  at  this  signal  disgrace,  and  commenced 
crying  most  vehemently,  when  another  caught  his 
wand  from  his  hand,  and  broke  it  across  her  knee.  It 
was  snatched  for  by  others,  who  broke  it  still  into 
bits,  and  then  threw  them  at  him.     His  power  was 


SCENE    IN    AN    INDIAN    COUNCIL.  369 

now  gone — his  bodily  strength  was  exhausted,  and  he 
made  a  bolt  for  the  prairie — he  dashed  through  the 
crowd,  and  made  his  way  through  the  piquets  on  the 
back  part  of  the  village,  where  were  placed  for  the 
purpose,  an  hundred  or  more  women  and  girls,  who 
escorted  him  as  he  ran  on  the  prairie  for  half  a  mile 
or  more,  beating  him  with  sticks,  and  stones,  and  dirt, 
and  kicks,  and  cuffs,  until  he  was  at  length  seen 
escaping  from  their  clutches,  and  making  the  best  of 
his  retreat  over  the  prairie  bluffs,  from  whence  he  first 
appeared."     With  this  the  bull  dance  terminated. 


^impkr  ^tmt  in  an  ItiiQikw  ©oueciI, 

An  institution  among  the  Indians,  similar  to  one 
among  the  ancient  Jews,  rendered  it  the  duty  of  the 
nearest  relative  of  a  murdered  man  to  pursue  and 
punish  the  murderer.  If  he  was  a  member  of  another 
tribe,  one  from  its  number  was  chosen  to  satisfy  the 
demands  of  justice.  Such  an  atonement  being  re- 
quisite to  the  happiness  of  the  deceased  warrior  in  the 
world  of  spirits,  was  considered  more  as  a  religious 
duty  than  an  act  of  revenge.  The  following  anecdote 
forcibly  illustrates  this  custom,  together  with  an  in- 
novation of  it  rarely  permitted  among  Indians. 

About  the  year  1780,  an  Indian  had  been  murdered 
in  Westmoreland  county.  New  York,  by  some  un- 
known white  man.  The  chiefs  met  in  council  at 
Oneida,  to  determine  what  was  to  be  done.     One  of 

47 


370  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

the  early  settlers  in  the  county  was  a  Mr.  Dean,  who 
feeling  curious,  perhaps  alarmed,  at  the  proceedings 
around  him,  continued,  through  the  friendship  of  an 
Indian,  to  obtain  knowledge  of  their  consultations. 
It  by  no  means  satisfied  him;  since  from  the 
office  he  held  (judge  of  county  courts)  and  his  high 
standing  among  the  white  men,  the  chiefs  urged  that 
he  was  the  proper  one  to  make  atoYiement.  But  he 
had  been  adopted  by  them  as  a  son,  and  many  of  the 
warriors  argued  that  this  circumstance  would  nullify 
the  virtue  of  the  sacrifice.  For  several  days  the 
matter  was  debated  without  being  decided.  His 
friendly  informant  apprized  him  of  all  that  was  done, 
and  he  continued  to  hope  for  the  best.  An  effort  to 
escape  would  have  exposed  him,  with  his  wife  and 
children,  to  certain  destruction.  He  adopted  the  pre- 
caution of  concealing  from  his  family  all  knowledge 
of  his  situation,  and  as  the  council  remained  in  ses- 
sion his  hopes  of  escape  brightened.  They  were  vain. 
One  night  after  retiring  to  rest,  he  heard  the  war- 
whoop,  and  then  for  the  first  time  intimated  to  his 
wife  that  he  feared  a  party  was  approaching  to  take 
his  life.  After  exhorting  her  to  remain  quiet  with 
the  children,  he  went  to  an  adjoining  chamber,  ad- 
mitted the  Indians  and  seated  them  in  the  outer  room. 
They  numbered  eighteen,  and  were  the  principal  men 
of  the  tribe.  After  a  short  interval,  the  senior  chief 
arose  and  informed  the  judge  that  they  had  come  to 
sacrifice  him  for  their  dead  brother,  and  that  he  must 
prepare  to  die.  To  this  disagreeable  piece  of  infor- 
mation he  replied  at  length,  affirming  that  as  he  was 


SCENE    IN   AN    INDIAN    COUNCIL.  871 

an  adopted  son  of  the  tribe,  it  would  be  wrong  to  re- 
quire his  blood  for  the  wrong  committed  by  a  wicked 
white  man,  that  he  was  not  ready  to  die,  that  he  could 
not  leave  his  wife  and  children  unprovided  for,  &c. 
The  council  listened  with  profound  gravity  and  atten- 
tion, and  after  he  had  finished,  one  of  the  chiefs  re- 
plied. The  debate  continued  a  long  while,  but  evi- 
dently little  to  the  judge's  favour.  When  about  re- 
signing himself  to  his  doom,  the  noise  of  footsteps 
was  heard,  and  suddenly  a  squaw  entered.  She  was 
wife  to  the  senior  chief  and  the  foster  parent  of  the 
unfortunate  white  man.  Though  her  entrance  into  a 
solemn  council  was  entirely  repugnant  to  all  Indian 
notions  of  propriety,  yet  she  was  permitted  to  take  her 
place  in  silence.  Immediately  after,  another  squaw 
entered,  and  she  was  as  soon  followed  by  another.  Each 
of  the  three  stood  closely  wrapped  in  a  blanket,  but 
said  nothing.  After  a  long  pause,  the  presiding  war- 
rior bade  them  be  gone.  The  wife  replied  that  the 
council  must  change  its  determination,  and  leave  her 
adopted  son,  the  good  white  man,  alone.  The  com- 
mand was  repeated.  Suddenly  each  of  the  women, 
throwing  aside  her  blanket,  brandished  a  knife  and 
declared  that  if  the  sentence  were  executed,  she  would 
plunge  it  into  her  bosom.  So  strange  a  scene  amazed 
even  Indians;  they  regarded  the  unheard  of  pro- 
cedure of  a  woman's  interfering  with  a  national  coun- 
cil as  an  interposition  of  the  Great  Spirit.  The  will 
of  their  deity  was  implicitly  obeyed,  the  decree  re- 
versed on  the  spot,  and  the  judge  dismissed  with 
honour. 


372  THRILLING    ADVENTURES, 


T^arratiije  of  m  lE^cape  from  tjbe  In^kjijs* 

The  following  is  a  narrative  of  Major  Moses  Van 
Campen,  a  member  of  the  American  army  during  the 
Revolution,  and  quarter-master  to  General  Sullivan 
during  the  expedition  of  that  officer  against  the  In- 
dian towns  of  the  Genesee,  in  1779.  He  distinguished 
himself  in  several  skirmishes  at  Newtown  and  Hog 
Back  Hill,  and  with  his  brother  was  famous  in  the 
border  wars  of  the  Susquehanna.  The  account  of 
his  captivity  is  given  in  his  own  words  ; — 

On  the  return  of  the  army,  I  was  taken  with  the 
camp  fever,  and  was  removed  to  the  fort  which  I  had 
built  in  '78,  where  my  father  was  still  living.  In  the 
course  of  the  winter  I  recovered  my  health,  and  my 
father's  house  having  been  burnt  in  '78  by  the  party 
which  attacked  the  before-mentioned  fort,  my  father 
requested  me  to  go  with  him  and  a  younger  brother 
to  our  farm,  about  four  miles  distant,  to  make  prepa- 
rations for  building  another  and  raising  some  grain. 
But  little  apprehension  was  entertained  of  molesta- 
tions from  the  Indians  this  season,  as  they  had  been 
so  completely  routed  the  year  before.  "We  left  the 
fort  about  the  last  of  March,  accompanied  by  my  uncle 
and  his  son,  about  twelve  years  old,  and  one  Peter 
Pence.  We  had  been  on  our  farms  about  four  or  five 
days,  when,  on  the  morning  of  the  30th  of  March, 
we  were  surprised  by  a  party  of  ten  Indians.  My 
father  was  lunged  through  with  a  war-spear,  his  throat 
was  cut,  and  he  was  scalped ;  while  my  brother  was 


ESCAPE    FROM    THE    INDIANS.  373 

tomahawked,  scalped,  and  thrown  into  the  fire  before 
my  eyes.  While  I  was  struggling  with  a  warrior, 
the  fellow  who  had  killed  my  father  drew  his  spear 
from  his  body  and  made  a  violent  thrust  at  me.  I 
shrank  from  the  spear ;  the  savage  who  had  hold  of 
me  turned  it  with  his  hand,  so  that  it  only  penetrated 
my  vest  and  shirt.  They  were  then  satisfied  with 
taking  me  prisoner,  as  they  had  the  same  morning 
taken  my  uncle's  little  son  and  Pence,  though  they 
killed  my  uncle.  The  same  party,  before  they 
reached  us,  had  touched  on  the  lower  settlements  of 
Wyoming,  and  killed  a  Mr.  Upson,  and  took  a  boy 
prisoner  of  the  name  of  Rogers.  We  were  now 
marched  ofi*  up  Fishing  creek,  and  in  the  afternoon 
of  the  same  day  we  came  to  Huntington,  where  the 
Indians  found  four  white  men  at  a  sugar  camp,  who 
fortunately  discovered  the  Indians  and  fled  to  a  house. 
The  Indians  only  fired  on  them  and  wounded  a  Cap- 
tain Ransom,  when  they  continued  their  course  till 
night.  Having  encamped  and  made  their  fire,  we, 
the  prisoners,  were  tied  and  well  secured,  five  Indians 
lying  on  one  side  of  us  and  five  on  the  other.  In 
the  morning  they  pursued  their  course,  and,  leaving 
the  waters  of  Fishing  creek,  touched  the  head-waters 
of  Hemlock  creek,  where  they  found  one  Abraham 
Pike,  his  wife  and  child.  Pike  was  made  prisoner ; 
but  his  wife  and  child  they  painted,  and  told  Joggo, 
squaw,  go  home.  They  continued  their  course  that 
day,  and  encamped  the  same  night  in  the  same  man- 
ner as  the  previous.  It  came  into  my  mind  that 
sometimes  individuals  performed  wonderful   actions 

21 


374  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

and  surmounted  the  greatest  danger.  I  then  decided 
that  these  fellows  must  die,  and  thought  of  the  plan 
to  despatch  them.  The  next  day  I  had  an  opportu- 
nity to  communicate  my  plan  to  my  fellow-prisoners. 
They  treated  it  as  a  visionary  scheme  for  three  men 
to  attempt  to  despatch  ten  Indians.  I  spread  before 
them  the  advantages  that  three  men  would  have  over 
ten  when  asleep ;  and  that  we  would  be  the  first  pri- 
eoners  that  would  be  taken  into  their  towns  and  vil- 
lages after  our  army  had  destroyed  their  corn  ;  that 
we  should  be  tied  to  the  stake  and  sufier  a  cruel 
death.  We  had  now  an  inch  of  ground  to  fight  on, 
and  if  we  failed  it  would  only  be  death,  and  we  might 
as  well  die  one  way  as  another.  That  day  passed 
away,  and,  having  encamped  for  the  night,  we  lay  as 
before.  In  the  morning  we  came  to  the  river,  and 
saw  their  canoes.  They  had  descended  the  river  and 
run  their  canoes  upon  Little  Tunkhannock  creek,  so 
called.  They  crossed  the  river  and  set  their  canoes 
adrift.  I  renewed  my  suggestion  to  my  companions 
to  despatch  them  that  night,  and  urged  them  to 
decide  the  question.  They  agreed  to  make  the  trial ; 
but  how  shall  we  do  it  ?  was  the  question.  Disarm 
them,  and  each  take  a  tomahawk  and  come  to  close 
work  at  once.  There  are  three  of  us;  plant  our 
blows  with  judgment,  and  three  times  three  will 
make  nine,  and  the  tenth  one  we  can  kill  at  our 
leisure.  They  agreed  to  disarm  them,  and  after  that, 
one  take  possession  of  the  guns  and  fire,  at  the  one 
side  of  the  four,  and  the  other  two  take  tomahawks 
on  the  other  side  and  despatch  them.     I  observed 


I 


ESCAPE    FROM   THE    INDIANS.  875 

that  would  be  a  very  uncertain  way.  The  first  shot 
fired  would  give  the  alarm  ;  they  would  discover  it 
to  be  the  prisoners,  and  might  defeat  us.  I  had  to 
yield  to  their  plan.  Peter  Pence  was  chosen  to  fire 
the  guns ;  Pike  and  myself  to  tomahawk.  We  cut 
and  carried  plenty  of  wood  to  give  them  a  good  fire. 
The  prisoners  were  tied  and  laid  in  their  places.  After 
I  was  laid  down,  one  of  them  had  occasion  to  use  his 
knife;  he  dropped  it  at  my  feet;  I  turned  my  foot 
over  it  and  concealed  it ;  they  all  lay  down  and  fell 
asleep.  About  midnight  I  got  up  and  found  them  in 
a  sound  sleep.  I  slipped  to  Pence,  who  rose  ;  I  cut 
him  loose  and  handed  him  the  knife;  he  did  the 
same  for  me,  and  I  in  turn  took  the  knife  and  cut 
Pike  loose.  In  a  minute's  time  we  disarmed  them. 
Pence  took  his  station  at  the  guns.  Pike  and  myself 
with  our  tomahawks  took  our  stations.  I  was  to 
tomahawk  three  on  the  right  wing,  and  Pike  two  on 
the  left.  That  moment  Pike's  two  awoke,  and  were 
getting  up.  Here  Pike  proved  a  coward  and  lay 
down.  It  was  a  critical  moment.  I  saw  there  was 
no  time  to  be  lost ;  their  heads  turned  up  fair ;  I  de- 
spatched them  in  a  moment,  and  turned  to  my  lot  as 
per  agreement,  and,  as  I  was  about  to  despatch  the 
last  on  my  side  of  the  fire.  Pence  shot  and  did  good 
execution.  There  was  only  one  at  the  off  wing  that 
his  ball  did  not  reach.  His  name  was  Mohawke,  a 
stout,  bold,  daring  fellow.  In  the  alarm  he  jumped 
off  about  three  rods  from  the  fire.  He  saw  it  was 
the  prisoners  who  made  the  attack,  and,  giving  the 
war-whoop,  he  darted  to  take  possession  of  the  guns. 


376  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

I  was  as  quick  to  prevent  him ;  the  contest  was  then 
between  him  and  myself.  As  I  raised  my  tomahawk, 
he  turned  quick  to  jump  from  me.  I  followed  him 
and  struck  at  him;  but,  missing  his  head,  my 
tomahawk  struck  his  shoulder,  or  rather  the  back  of 
his  neck.  He  pitched  forward  and  fell ;  at  the  same 
time  my  foot  slipped,  and  I  fell  by  his  side.  We 
clinched ;  his  arm  was  naked ;  he  caught  me  round 
my  neck.  At  the  same  time  I  caught  him  with  my 
left  arm  around  the  body,  and  gave  him  a  close  hug ; 
at  the  same  time  feeling  for  his  knife,  but  could  not 
reach  it. 

In  our  scuffle  my  tomahawk  dropped  out.  My 
head  was  under  the  wounded  shoulder,  and  almost 
suffocated  me  with  his  blood.  I  made  a  violent 
spring  and  broke  from  his  hold.  We  both  rose  at 
the  same  time,  and  he  ran.  It  took  me  some  time 
to  clear  the  blood  from  my  eyes.  My  tomahawk  had 
got  covered  up,  and  I  could  not  find  it  in  time  to 
overtake  him.  He  was  the  only  one  of  the  party 
that  escaped.  Pike  was  powerless.  I  always  had  a 
reverence  for  Christian  devotion.  Pike  was  trying 
to  pray,  and  Pence  swearing  at  him,  charging  him  with 
cowardice,  and  saying  it  was  no  time  to  pray;  he 
ought  to  fight.  We  were  masters  of  the  ground,  and 
in  possession  of  all  their  guns,  blankets,  match-coats, 
&c.  I  then  turned  my  attention  to  scalping  them, 
and  recovering  the  scalps  of  my  father,  brother,  and 
others.  I  strung  them  all  on  my  belt  for  safe-keep- 
ing. We  kept  our  ground  till  morning,  and  built  a 
raft,  it  being  near  the  bank  of  the  river  where  they 


ESCAPE    FROM   THE    INDIANS.  377 

had  encamped,  about  fifteen  miles  below  Tioga  Point. 
We  got  all  our  plunder  on  it,  and  set  sail  for  Wyo- 
ming, the  nearest  settlement.  Our  raft  gave  way, 
when  we  made  for  land ;  and  we  lost  considerable 
property,  though  we  saved  our  guns  and  ammunition, 
and  took  to  land.  We  reached  Wyalusing  late  in  the 
afternoon.  Came  to  the  narrows ;  discovered  a  smoke 
below,  and  a  raft  lying  at  the  shore,  by  which  we 
were  certain  that  a  party  of  Indians  had  passed  us 
in  the  course  of  the  day,  and  had  halted  for  the  night. 
There  was  no  alternative  for  us  but  to  rout  them,  or 
go  over  the  mountain.  The  snow  on  the  north  side 
of  the  hill  was  deep.  We  knew  from  the  appearance 
of  the  raft  that  the  party  must  be  small ;  we  had 
two  rifles  each ;  my  only  fear  was  of  Pike's  coward- 
ice. To  know  the  worst  of  it,  we  agreed  that  I 
should  ascertain  their  number,  and  give  the  signal 
for  the  attack.  I  crept  down  the  side  of  the  hill  so 
near  as  to  see  their  fires  and  packs,  but  saw  no  In- 
dians. I  concluded  they  had  gone  hunting  for  meat, 
and  that  this  was  a  good  opportunity  for  us  to  make 
oflf  with  their  raft  to  the  opposite  side  of  the  river. 
I  gave  the  signal.  They  came  and  threw  their  packs 
on  to  the  raft,  which  was  made  of  small,  dry  pine 
timber.  With  poles  and  paddles  we  drove  her  briskly 
across  the  river,  and  had  got  nearly  out  of  reach  of 
shot  when  two  of  them  came  in.  They  fired ;  their 
shots  did  no  injury.  We  soon  got  under  cover  of  an 
island,  and  went  several  miles.  We  had  waded  deep 
creeks  through  the  day;  the  night  was  cold.     We 

48  2i2 


378  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

landed  on  an  island,  and  found  a  sink-hole,  in  which 
we  made  our  fire.  After  warming,  we  were  alarmed 
by  a  cracking  in  the  crust.  Pike  supposed  the  In- 
dians had  got  on  the  island,  and  was  for  calling  for 
quarters.  T'o  keep  him  quiet,  we  threatened  him 
with  his  life.  The  stepping  grew  plainer,  and  seemed 
coming  directly  to  the  fire.  I  kept  a  watch,  and  soon 
a  noble  racoon  came  under  the  light.  I  shot  the  ra- 
coon, when  Pike  jumped  up  and  called  out,  "Quar- 
ters, gentlemen ;  quarters,  gentlemen  !"  I  took  my 
game  by  the  leg  and  threw  it  down  by  the  fire. 
"  Here,  you  cowardly  rascal,"  I  cried,  "  skin  that  and 
give  us  a  roast  for  supper."  The  next  night  we 
reached  "Wyoming,  and  there  was  much  joy  to  see 
us.  We  rested  one  day,  and  it  being  not  safe  to  go 
to  Northumberland  by  land,  we  procured  a  canoe, 
and,  with  Pence  and  my  little  cousin,  we  descended 
the  river  by  night.  We  came  to  Fort  Jenkins  before 
day,  where  I  found  Colonel  Kelly  and  about  one  hun- 
dred men  encamped  out  of  the  fort.  He  came  across 
from  the  west  branch  by  the  heads  of  Chillisquake 
to  Fishing  creek,  the  end  of  the  Nob  mountain,  so 
called  at  that  day,  where  my  father  and  brother  were 
killed.  He  had  buried  my  father  and  uncle.  My 
brother  was  burnt,  a  small  part  of  him  only  was  to 
be  found.  Colonel  Kelly  informed  me  that  my  mother 
and  her  children  were  in  the  fort,  and  it  was  thought 
that  I  was  killed  likewise.  Colonel  Kelly  went  into 
the  fort  to  prepare  her  mind  to  see  me.  I  took  off 
my  belt  of  scalps  and  handed  them  to  an  officer  to  keep. 


EARLY  SETTLERS  OF  BEDFORD  COUNTY.    879 

Human  nature  was  not  sufficient  to  stand  the  inter- 
view. She  had  just  lost  a  husband  and  a  son,  and 
one  had  returned  to  take  her  by  the  hand,  and  one, 
too,  that  she  supposed  was  killed. 


0ads  ^mlex^  of  BelDfoi^  ©ouwtg. 

Many  stories  of  Indian  outrages  and  of  daring  per- 
sonal adventure  with  the  savages  are  still  preserved 
by  descendants  of  the  early  settlers  of  Bedford.  In 
1777,  an  attack  was  made  upon  the  house  of  Mr.  TuU, 
containing  the  old  gentleman,  his  wife,  and  nine 
daughters,  their  only  son  being  absent.  A  neighbour 
named  Williams,  and  his  son,  were  returning  from 
some  work  on  the  road.  Observing  a  smoke  in  the 
direction  of  T  nil's  house,  they  entered  the  garden. 
Here  they  found  the  old  man  just  expiring,  while  near 
him  lay  an  Indian  paint-bag.  They  fled  in  terror  to 
the  fort;  but  next  day  a  party  returned  to  ascertain 
the  fate  of  the  survivors.  The  mother  was  found 
with  the  infant  in  her  arms,  both  scalped,  and  at  dif- 
ferent distances  were  the  remaining  children  all  dead 
and  scalped  except  one,  who  it  was  supposed  had 
been  burned. 

About  the  same  time,  a  rather  singular  circum- 
stance occurred  in  the  neighbourhood  of  the  Allegha- 
nies.  A  man,  named  Wells,  after  making  considera- 
ble improvement,  was'  obliged,  through  dread  of  the 
Indians,  to  retire  with  his  family  to  the  adjacent 


380  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

fort.  In  the  fall  he  returned  to  dig  his  potatoes,  tak- 
ing with  him  six  or  seven  men,  a  girl  to  cook,  and  a 
horse.  After  finishing  their  job,  they  made  prepara- 
tions to  return  on  the  following  day.  During  the 
night.  Wells  dreamed  that  on  his  way  he  had  been 
attacked  and  gored  by  a  bull,  and  so  strongly  was  he 
impressed  by  this  circumstance,  that  he  mentioned 
it  to  his  companions  together  with  his  apprehension 
that  something  serious  was  about  to  occur.  He  again 
slept,  and  dreamed  that,  when  about  to  shoot  a  deer, 
the  main-spring  of  his  gun  broke,  and  he  distinctly 
heard  the  crack  of  its  spring.  Lovers  of  the  mar- 
vellous will  be  pleased  to  hear,  that,  on  his  arising 
and  examining  his  gun,  the  main-spring  actually  did 
break.  The  party  now  became  alarmed,  and,  hastily 
despatching  their  breakfast,  set  out  for  the  fort.  The 
girl  had  already  been  sent  forward  on  the  horse.  On 
the  road,  five  Indians  suddenly  rose  before  Wells,  and 
advanced  with  extended  hands.  His  companions 
immediately  fled.  Not  liking  the  looks  of  the  near- 
est Indian,  Wells  threw  his  useless  rifle  at  him  and 
ran.  The  Indians  pursued;  but,  finding  that  he 
outran  them,  they  suddenly  stopped  and  fired.  All 
the  balls  struck  him,  but  without  much  effect.  Soon 
after  he  discovered  his  hidden  companions,  and  beg- 
ged them  to  fire;  but  they  were  afraid.  He  next 
overtook  the  girl,  who,  comprehending  his  danger, 
dismounted,  and  exhorted  him  to  save  himself,  while 
she  hid  amongst  the  bushes.  Destitute  of  a  whip, 
he  could  get  the  horse  only  on  a  trot,  and  the  Indians 
again  got  near  enough  to  fire.     One  of  the  balls  struck 


INDIAN    ATTACK    ON    DOVER.  881 

him  in  the  hip,  and  lodged  in  his  side.  The  report 
so  frightened  the  horse  that  he  started  oiF  at  full  gal- 
lop, thus  enabling  his  rider  to  escape.  The  Indians 
were  afterwards  pursued,  and  four  of  them  killed. 


In  1689,  that  part  of  the  town  of  Dover,  lying  on 
the  first  falls  of  the  river  Cocheco,  contained  five 
garrisoned  houses.  These  were  surrounded  by  timber 
walls,  the  gates  of  which  were  secured  by  bolts  and 
bars.  The  garrisons,  or  rather  families  of  these 
places,  seem  to  have  relapsed  into  a  state  of  imaginary 
safety,  neglecting  the  precautions  which,  at  that  early 
day,  could  not  be  neglected  without  risk  of  surprise 
and  massacre.  The  Indians,  some  of  whom  were 
constantly  prowling  about  the  neighbourhood,  were 
not  slow  in  discovering  this  criminal  lethargy,  nor  in 
devising  a  plan  to  take  advantage  of  it.  Two  of 
their  women  were  to  go  to  each  of  the  garrisoned 
houses  in  the  evening,  and  ask  leave  to  lodge  by  the 
fire.  At  night,  when  all  was  hushed,  they  were  to 
open  the  gates  and  give  the  signal  by  whistling ;  upon 
which  the  assailants  were  to  rush  in  and  massacre 
or  capture  the  garrisons. 

•  On  the  evening  of  Thursday,  the  27th  of  June, 
1789,  two  squaws  applied  to  each  of  the  garrisons 
for  lodging,  as  they  frequently  did  in  time  of  peace. 
They  were  admitted  into  all  but  the  younger  Coffin's, 


382  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

and  the  people,  at  their  request,  showed  them  how  to 
open  the  doors,  in  case  they  should  have  occasion  to 
go  out  in  the  night.  Mesandowit,  one  of  their  chiefs, 
went  to  Waldron's  garrison,  and  was  kindly  enter- 
tained, as  he  had  often  been  before.  The  squaws 
told  the  major  that  a  number  of  Indians  were  com- 
ing to  trade  with  him  the  next  day,  and  Mesandowit, 
while  at  supper,  with  his  usual  familiarity,  said, 
"  Brother  Waldron,  what  would  you  do  if  the  strange 
Indians  should  come?"  The  major  carelessly  an- 
swered, that  he  could  assemble  a  hundred  men  by 
lifting  up  his  finger.  In  this  unsuspecting  confidence 
the  family  retired  to  rest. 

When  all  was  quiet,  the  gates  were  opened  and 
the  signal  given.  The  Indians  entered,  set  a  guard 
at  the  door,  and  rushed  into  the  major's  apartment, 
which  was  an  inner  room.  Awakened  by  the  noise, 
he  jumped  out  of  bed,  and,  though  now  advanced  in 
life  to  the  age  of  eighty  years,  he  retained  so  much 
vigour  as  to  drive  them  with  his  sword  through  two 
or  three  doors ;  but,  as  he  was  returning  for  his  other 
arms,  they  came  behind  him,  stunned  him  with  a 
hatchet,  drew  him  into  his  hall,  and,  seating  him  in 
an  elbow  chair  on  a  long  table,  insultingly  asked  him, 
"  Who  shall  judge  Indians  now  ?"  They  then  obliged 
the  people  in  the  house  to  get  them  some  victuals, 
and,  when  they  had  done  eating,  they  cut  the  major 
across  the  breast  and  belly  with  knives,  each  one 
with  a  stroke,  saying,  "I  cross  out  my  account." 
They  then  cut  ofi*  his  nose  and  ears,  forcing  them 
into  his  mouth,  and,  when  spent  with  the  loss  of 


INDIAN    ATTACK  ON    DOVER.  383 

blood,  he  was  falling  down  from  the  table,  one  of 
them  held  his  own  sword  under  him,  which  put  an 
end  to  his  misery.  They  also  killed  his  son-in-law, 
Abraham  Lee ;  but  took  his  daughter  Lee  with  seve- 
ral others,  and,  having  pillaged  the  house,  set  it  on 
fire.  Otis's  garrison,  which  was  next  to  the  major's, 
met  with  the  same  fate.  He  was  killed,  with  several 
others,  and  his  wife  and  child  were  made  prisoners. 
Heard's  was  saved  by  the  barking  of  a  dog  just  as 
the  Indians  were  entering.  Elder  Wentworth,  who 
was  awakened  by  the  noise,  pushed  them  out,  and 
falling  on  his  back  set  his  feet  against  the  gate,  and 
held  it  till  he  had  alarmed  the  people ;  two  balls 
were  fired  through  it,  but  both  missed  him.  Coffin's 
house  was  surprised  ;  but,  as  the  Indians  had  no  par- 
ticular enmity  to  him,  they  spared  his  life  and  the 
lives  of  his  family,  and  contented  themselves  with 
pillaging  the  house.  Finding  a  bag  of  money,  they 
made  him  throw  it  by  handfuls  on  the  floor,  while 
they  amused  themselves  in  scrambling  for  it.  They 
then  went  to  the  house  of  his  son,  who  would  not 
admit  the  squaws  in  the  evening,  and  summoned  him 
to  surrender,  promising  him  quarter.  He  declined 
their  offer,  and  determined  to  defend  his  house,  till 
they  brought  out  his  father  and  threatened  to  kill 
him  before  his  eyes.  Filial  affection  then  overcame 
his  resolution,  and  he  surrendered.  They  put  both 
families  together  into  a  deserted  house,  intending  to 
reserve  them  for  prisoners ;  but,  while  the  Indians 
were  busy  in  plundering,  they  all  escaped. 

Twenty-three  people  were  killed  in  this  surprisal, 


384  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

and  twenty-nine  were  taken  captive;  five  or  six  houses, 
with  the  mills,  were  burned ;  and  so  expeditious  were 
the  Indians  in  the  execution  of  their  plot,  that,  be- 
fore the  people  could  be  collected  from  the  other  parts 
of  the  town  to  oppose  them,  they  fled  with  their  pri- 
soners and  booty.  As  they  passe*d  by  Heard's  garri- 
son, in  their  retreat,  they  fired  upon  it ;  but  the  peo- 
ple being  prepared  and  resolved  to  defend  it,  and  the 
enemy  being  in  haste,  it  was  preserved.  The  pre- 
servation of  its  owner  was  more  remarkable. 

Elizabeth  Heard,  with  her  three  sons  and  a  daugh- 
ter, and  some  others,  were  returning  in  the  night 
from  Portsmouth.  They  passed  up  the  river  in  their 
boat,  unperceived  by  the  Indians,  who  were  then  in 
possession  of  the  houses ;  but,  suspecting  danger  by 
the  noise  which  they  heard,  after  they  had  landed, 
they  betook  themselves  to  Waldron's  garrison,  where 
they  saw  lights,  w^hich  they  imagined  were  set  up  for 
direction  to  those  who  might  be  seeking  a  refuge. 
They  knocked  and  begged  earnestly  for  admission ; 
but,  no  answer  being  given,  a  young  man  of  the  com- 
pany climbed  up  the  wall,  and  saw,  to  his  inexpressi- 
ble surprise,  an  Indian  standing  in  the  door  of  the 
house  with  his  gun.  The  woman  was  so  overcome 
with  the  fright  that  she  was  unable  to  fly ;  but  beg- 
ged her  children  to  shift  for  themselves,  and  they 
with  heavy  hearts  left  her.  When  she  had  a  little 
recovered,  she  crawled  into  some  bushes,  and  lay 
there  till  day-light.  She  then  perceived  an  Indian 
coming  toward  her  with  a  pistol  in  his  hand ;  he 
looked  at  her  and  went  away.     Keturning,  he  looked 


INDIAN    ATTACK    ON    DOVER.  385 

at  her  again,  and  she  asked  him  what  he  would  have. 
He  made  no  answer,  but  ran  yelling  to  the  house,  and 
she  saw  him  no  more.  She  kept  her  place  till  the 
house  was  burned  and  the  Indians  were  gone,  and 
then,  returning  home,  found  her  own  house  safe.  Her 
preservation  in  these  dangerous  circumstances  was 
more  remarkable,  if,  as  it  is  supposed,  it  was  an  in- 
stance of  justice  and  gratitude  in  the  Indians;  for, 
at  the  time  when  the  four  hundred  were  seized  in 
1676,  a  young  Indian  escaped  and  took  refuge  in 
her  house,  where  she  concealed  him.  In  return  for 
which  kindness  he  promised  her  that  he  would  never 
kill  her,  nor  any  of  her  family  in  any  future  war, 
and  that  he  would  use  his  influence  with  the  other 
Indians  to  the  same  purpose.  This  Indian  was  one 
of  the  party  who  surprised  the  place,  and  she  was 
well  known  to  most  of  them. 

The  same  day,  after  the  mischief  was  done,  a  let- 
ter from  Secretary  Addington,  written  by  order  of  the 
government,  directed  to  Major  Waldron,  giving  him 
notice  of  the  intention  of  the  Indians  to  surprise  him 
under  pretence  of  trade,  fell  into  the  hands  of  his 
son.  This  design  was  communicated  to  Governor 
Bradstreet  by  Major  Henchman  of  Chelmsford,  who 
had  learned  it  of  the  Indians.  The  letter  was  de- 
spatched from  Boston  the  day  before  by  Mr.  Weare ; 
but  some  delay,  which  he  met  with  at  Newbury  ferry, 
prevented  its  arrival  in  season. 

The  prisoners  taken  at  this  time  were  mostly  car- 
ried to  Canada  and  sold  to  the  French ;  and  these,  it 

49  2K 


386  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

would  appear,  were  the  first  that  ever  were  carried 
thither. 

One  of  these  prisoners  was  Sarah  Gerrish,  a  re- 
markably fine  child  of  seven  years  old,  and  grand- 
daughter of  Major  Waldron,  in  whose  house  she 
lodged  that  fatal  night.  Some  circumstances  attend- 
ing her  captivity  are  truly  afiecting.  When  she  was 
awakened  by  the  noise  of  the  Indians  in  the  house, 
she  crept  into  another  bed  and  hid  herself  under  the 
clothes  to  escape  their  search.  She  remained  in  their 
hands  till  the  next  winter,  and  was  sold  from  one 
to  another  several  times.  An  Indian  girl  once 
pushed  her  into  a  river ;  but,  catching  by  the  bushes, 
she  escaped  drowning,  yet  durst  not  tell  how  she 
came  to  be  wet.  Once  she  was  so  weary  with  tra- 
velling that  she  did  not  awake  in  the  morning  till  the 
Indians  were  gone,  and  then  found  herself  alone  in 
the  woods,  covered  with  snow  and  without  any  food. 
Having  found  their  tracks,  she  went  crying  after  them 
till  they  heard  her  and  took  her  with  them.  At  an- 
other time,  they  kindled  a  great  fire,  and  the  young 
Indians  told  her  she  was  to  be  roasted.  She  burst 
into  tears,  threw  her  arms  round  her  master's  neck, 
and  begged  him  to  save  her,  which  he  promised  to  do 
if  she  would  behave  well.  Being  arrived  in  Canada, 
she  was  bought  by  the  Intendant's  lady,  who  treated 
her  courteously  and  sent  her  to  a  nunnery  for  educa- 
tion. But  when  Sir  William  Phips  was  at  Quebec, 
she  was  exchanged  and  returned  to  her  friends,  with 
whom  she  lived  till  she  was  sixteen  years  old. 

The  wife  of  Richard  Otis  was  taken  at  the  same 


INDIAN    GRATITUDE    FOR   FAVOURS.  387 

time,  with  an  infant  daughter  of  three  months  old. 
The  French  priests  took  this  child  undej-  their  care, 
baptized  her  by  the  name  of  Christina,  and  educated 
her  in  the  Komish  religion.  She  passed  some  time  in 
a  nunnery,  but  declined  taking  the  veil,  and  was 
married  to  a  Frenchman,  by  whom  she  had  two  chil- 
dren. But  her  desire  to  see  New  England  was  so 
strong,  that,  upon  an  exchange  of  prisoners  in  1714, 
being  then  a  widow,  she  left  both  her  children,  who 
were  not  permitted  to  come  with  her,  and  returned 
home,  where  she  abjured  the  Eomish  faith. 


The  following  anecdote  displays  a  singular  medley 
of  cruelty  and  gratitude.  It  is  refreshing  to  meet 
with  instances  of  lenity,  even  though  in  the  midst 
of  slaughter;  for  light  never  appears  so  bright  as 
when  contrasted  with  a  dark  ground. 

During  the  old  French  war,  a  Mr.  Schoonhover, 
with  six  or  seven  other  Americans,  was  captured  by 
Indians  while  journeying  from  Fort  William  Henry 
to  Sandy  Hill.  They  were  led  to  what  is  now  the 
middle  of  Sandy  Hill,  and  seated  one  by  one  on  a  log. 
The  Indians  then  began  at  one  end  and  deliberately 
split  the  skulls  of  the  prisoners  with  their  toma- 
hawks, each  feeling  the  stroke  which  murdered  his 
neighbour  before  he  received  his  own.  Schoonhover 
was  the  last  but  one.     The  work  of  death  had 


888  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

reached  him,  and  the  hatchet  was  already  lifted, 
when  the  butchery  was  suddenly  stopped.  A  chief 
approaching  him,  mildly  said  :  "  Do  you  not  remem- 
ber that,  when  your  young  men  were  dancing,  poor 
Indians  came  and  wanted  to  dance  too  ?  Your  young 
men  said  '  No,  Indians  shall  not  dance  with  us ;'  but 
you  said,  ^  Indians  shall  dance.'  Now,  I  will  show 
you  that  Indians  can  remember  kindness."  It  is 
needless  to  add,  that  Schoonhover  was  spared,  to- 
gether with  his  trembling  companion. 


In  1703,  the  town  of  Wells,  in  Maine,  was  attacked 
by  Indians.  Stephen  Harding,  a  resident  on  the  op- 
posite side  of  the  river,  heard  the  firing,  but  supposed 
that  it  originated  from  a  company  of  soldiers  exercis- 
ing. On  the  following  morning,  he  prepared  to  go 
a  hunting ;  but  his  wife  begged  him  to  stay,  because, 
during  the  night,  two  men,  as  she  thought,  had  looked 
in  at  the  window.  Convinced  that  this  was  the  effect 
of  imagination,  he  went  over  to  his  shop  to  wait  for 
breakfast.  On  the  road  he  observed  a  crowd  of  per- 
sons on  a  neighbouring  height,  and,  being  now 
alarmed,  he  returned  to  his  house  and  told  his  wife  to 
carry  their  child,  about  a  year  old,  across  Gooch's 
creek,  and  remain  under  a  particular  oak  until  he 
could  ascertain  what  was  the  matter.     He  then  went 


ESCAPE    FROM    INDIANS.  389 

to  his  shop,  beat  on  the  side  of  it  with  an  axe,  and 
gave  the  war-whoop.  Suddenly  four  Indians  started 
up  from  their  hiding-places,  and  ran  toward  the  door. 
Harding  escaped  on  the  other  side.  In  passing 
through  an  adjacent  corn-field,  and  when  within  a 
short  distance  of  the  house,  he  found  his  wife,  who 
was  too  much  frightened  to  run.  He  caught  her 
under  one  arm  and  the  child  under  the  other,  and 
aimed  for  the  creek.  Though  it  was  at  flood-tide,  he 
safely  forded  it,  and,  placing  his  charge  under^n 
oak,  he  returned  to  ascertain  the  disposition  of  the 
Indians,  still  hoping  it  might  be  friendly.  On  the 
way  he  met  an  enormous  bear,  which  obliged  him 
again  to  seek  his  family,  and  set  out  with  them  to- 
ward one  of  the  Wells  forts.  A  small  dog  was  killed 
lest  it  might  betray  them  by  its  barking.  At  night 
they  reached  the  top  of  a  hill,  where  they  remained 
until  morning,  feeding  upon  berries.  The  next 
evening  they  reached  Store r's  garrison,  the  inmates 
of  which  were  asleep.  From  this  circumstance, 
Harding  imagined  that  he  had  left  his  house  without 
sufficient  cause,  and  was  about  retracing  his  steps, 
when  the  cries  of  women  and  children  for  the  loss 
of  their  relatives  convinced  him  that  he  had  not 
yielded  to  a  false  alarm. 

Meanwhile,  the  Indians  had  pulled  up  all  the  corn 
in  search  of  the  fugitive ;  but  afterwards  gave  up  the 
pursuit,  affirming  that  he  was  as  good  an  Indian  as 
themselves.  They  did  not  injure  the  house ;  but 
killed  his  hogs  and  took  all  the  clothing  and  bedding, 
throwing  away  the  feathers  of  the  latter.     Their  ob- 

2k2 


390  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

ject  was  to  take  him  alive  and  convey  him  to  the  set- 
tlements in  Canada,  where  his  trade  as  a  blacksmith 
would  render  him  of  great  service  to  them.  Afterwards 
the  Indians  crossed  the  river  and  killed  the  wife  and 
three  children  of  William  Larrabee,  who  lived  in  the 
field  near  what  are  called  Butler's  rocks.  Larrabee  was 
at  work  on  the  marsh.  Perceiving  two  Indians  running 
toward  him,  he  concealed  himself  among  the  bushes. 
After  they  had  given  up  the  search,  he  crept  toward 
the  house,  and  saw  the  party  regaling  themselves 
upon  the  provisions  taken  from  his  house.  Near  him 
his  wife  and  two  children  were  lying  dead.  The  other 
child  was  not  quite  dead,  but  raised  its  head  several 
times. 

The  Indians  next  proceeded  to  the  house  of  Philip 
Durrill.  From  thence  they  took  away  Mrs.  Durrill,  her 
two  daughters,  Susan  and  Eachel,  and  two  sons,  one 
an  infant.  The  Indians  carried  their  prisoners  as  far 
as  Peywacket  or  Fryeburg,  when  Mrs.  Durrill  per- 
suaded them  to  let  her  return  with  her  infant.  One 
of  the  Indians  carried  her  child  for  her  to  the  stone 
fort  at  Saco,  from  which  place  she  returned  home. 
The  other  son  was  accidentally  drowned  in  Saco; 
the  daughters  married  Frenchmen,  and  refused  to 
return  after  the  war  was  over. 


MURDER   OF    A   FAMILY.  391 


JMutl^r  of  a  Karaite  in  l^efe  ^arajp^fjlre^ 

..^  In  1723,  the  family  of  Aaron  Rawlins,  on  Samprey 
river,  New  Hampshire,  was  attacked  by  Indians,  and 
himself  and  eldest  daughter  murdered,  under  circum- 
stance of  great  barbarity.  At  that  time  the  people 
generally  retired  at  night  to  the  garrisoned  houses, 
and  returned  home  in  the  daytime.  On  the  evening 
of  August  29,  they  neglected  this  precaution.  At 
this  time  eighteen  Indians  were  in  the  neighbourhood, 
and  observing  the  defenceless  condition  of  the  family, 
immediately  resolved  on  an  attack.  Mrs.  Rawlins, 
going  to  the  door,  was  seized,  together  with  two  of  her 
children.  Her  husband  closed  the  door,  and  with  his 
eldest  daughter,  about  twelve  years  old,  began  firing 
upon  the  assailants,  calling  to  his  neighbours  for  help. 
They  were  afraid  to  venture  out ;  and  the  unhappy 
man  was  at  length  killed  by  a  random  shot  through 
the  door.  The  Indians  then  broke  into  the  house, 
killed  the  daughter,  cut  off  her  head,  and  scalped  her 
father.  His  wife  and  two  children,  a  son  and  a 
daughter,  were  carried  to  Canada.  In  a  few  years 
Mrs.  Rawlins  was  redeemed.  The  son  was  adopted 
by  the  Indians,  and  lived.  After  peace  had  been  de- 
clared, he  came  into  Pennycook  with  some  of  his  red 
companions,  and  expressed  to  some  people  with  whom 
he  conversed,  much  resentment  against  his  uncle 
Samuel  Rawlins,  on  account  of  some  property  which, 
as  he  supposed,  had  been  detained  from  his  mother. 
The  daughter  married  a  Frenchman,  and  when  nearly 


392  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

sixty  years  old,  returned  with  him  to  her  native 
place,  in  expectation  of  receiving  the  patrimony  which 
she  imagined  was  left  her  by  her  father.  But  the 
estate  had  been  sold  by  her  grandfather's  administra- 
tor, and  after  a  year  or  two  she  went  back  to  Canada. 


"  MsiMt  of  6)p|i^fejag  Indians}  (in  Uanhm*) 

The  impossibility  of  studying  the  Indian  character 
and  Indian  customs  where  they  ought  to  be  studied, 
among  their  native  wilds,  must  ever  prove  a  serious 
obstacle  to  their  proper  representation.  It  was  a 
noble  thought  of  our  countryman,  Mr.  Catlin,  to  re- 
ject those  partial  and  meagre  records  concerning  our 
aborigines  which  were  current  during  his  youth,  and 
to  resolve  upon  seeing  the  Indian  in  his  own  element, 
surrounded  with  all  the  mighty  works  of  which  he  is 
a  part.  He  found  the  Indian,  in  civilized  life,  a  soli- 
tary, degraded  wanderer,  without  a  country,  without 
a  home,  without  a  friend,  his  hand  against  every  man 
and  every  man's  hand  against  him.  He  journeyed  to 
the  prairies  of  the  West.  There  the  Indian  was 
another  being — the  lord  of  creation,  the  member  of  a 
race  of  heroes,  to  which  those  of  Homer  and  Tasso 
are  tame ;  the  champion  of  feats  at  which  the  white 
man  would  shudder.  There,  amid  new  laws  and 
noble  scenery,  the  Indian  is  the  civilized  man;  and  the 
European,  the  wandering,  dejected  outcast.  It  is  for 
this  reason  that  Mr.  Catlin's  book  is  of  all  books 


DANCE    OF    OJIBBEWAY    INDIANS.  393 

about  Indians  the  most  instructive  and  amusing.  It 
takes  for  granted  that  the  Indian  is  a  man — a  real 
man  like  ourselves,  has  affections  and  feelings  like 
other  men ;  having  love  for  friends,  gratitude  for  fa- 
vours, sensibility  for  kindness,  as  other  men  have. 
The  author  went  among  populous  tribes,  some  of  them 
smarting  under  injuries  lately  received,  armed  not 
with  rifle  and  scalping  knife,  but  with  a  palette.  He 
loved  the  Indian  character,  he  mourned  over  their 
coming  fate,  and  he  appeared  among  their  tribes  as  a 
friend.  As  a  friend  they  welcomed  him.  The  distinc- 
tion of  colour  was  forgotten ;  the  memory  of  past  in- 
juries was  forgotten.  The  white  man  was  admitted  to 
every  wigwam,  shared  every  hunt  and  every  ceremony. 
He  was  even  installed  a  medicine-man,  and  admitted  to 
the  great  ceremonial  feasts.  Can  we  wonder  that  he 
learned  to  love  the  poor  Indian,  or  that  his  narrative 
forces  us  also  to  love  them? 

On  returning  to  the  Eastern  States,  Mr.  Catlin  ex- 
hibited his  gallery  of  Indian  paintings  in  New  York. 
Afterwards  he  went  with  it  to  London ;  while  there, 
he  was  surprised  by  a  visit  from  a  party  of  Ojibbe- 
way  Indians,  who  not  long  after  were  followed  by  a 
party  of  loways.  These  were  exhibited  in  the  same 
building  with  his  paintings,  and  met  with  the  greatest 
favour  from  all  classes  of  the  English  people.  Dur- 
ing the  exhibitions  they  gave  the  white  people  an 
opportunity  to  enjoy  sights,  and  we  may  add  to  hear 
noises  which  their  forefathers  had  neither  seen  nor 
heard.  The  displays  were  truly  Indian ;  and  taught 
the  spectators  more  of  the  real  Indian  character  in 

50 


394  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

one  night  than  all  the  books  of  Indians  then  in  the 
kingdom  could  have  done,  Mr.  Catlin's  book  always 
excepted. 

Some  of  these  performances,  with  their  attendant 
incidents,  were  no  less  amusing  than  instructive.  The 
following  is  Catlin's  account  of  their  first  appearance 
at  the  Exchange  Buildings,  Manchester  : — "  On  the 
same  evening,  by  our  announcements,  they  were  to 
make  their  first  appearance  in  my  exhibition,  and  at  an 
early  hour  the  Eooms  were  filled,  and  we  were  obliged 
to  close  the  doors.  I  had  erected  a  strong  platform  in 
the  middle  of  my  room,  on  which  the  Indians  were  to 
give  their  dances,  and  having  removed  all  seats  from 
the  room,  every  part  of  the  floor  was  covered  as  dense- 
ly as  it  was  possible  for  men  and  women  to  be  grouped 
together.  Into  the  midst  of  this  mass  the  party  dashed 
in  Indian  file,  with  shield  and  bow  and  quiver  slung — 
with  war-clubs  and  tomahawks  in  hand,  as  they 
sounded  the  frightful  war-whoop  and  were  endeavour- 
ing to  reach  the  platform.  The  frightened  crowd,  with 
screams  and  yells  as  frightful  nearly  as  those  of  the 
Indians,  gave  way,  and  they  soon  had  a  free  passage 
to  the  platform,  upon  which  they  leaped,  without 
looking  for  the  flight  of  steps  prepared  for  them,  and 
were  at  full  length  before  the  staring,  gaping  multi- 
tude. They  were  in  a  moment  seated,  and  were  pass- 
ing their  pipe  around,  while  I  was,  by  a  brief  lecture, 
introducing  them,  and  the  modes  they  were  to  illus- 
trate to  the  audience. 

"  I  described  the  country  and  the  tribe  they  be- 
longed to,  and  the  objects  for  which  they  had  crossed 


m 


DANCE    OF    OJIBBEWAY   INDIANS.  397 

the  Atlantic ;  and  also  expressed  to  the  audience  the 
happy  opportunity  it  was  affording  me  of  corroborat- 
ing the  many  assertions  I  had  been  heretofore  making 
relative  to  the  looks  and  modes  of  those  people,  many 
of  which  I  was  fully  aware  were  difficult  of  compre- 
hension. Having  done  this,  I  should  leave  the  In- 
dians to  entertain  the  audience  with  such  of  their 
dances  and  other  amusements  as  they  might  decide 
upon,  and  endeavour  to  stand  by  and  explain  each 
amusement  as  they  gave  it,  feeling  abundantly  able 
to  do  so  from  a  residence  of  eight  years  among  the 
various  tribes  in  America. 

"  There  was  a  shout  of  applause  at  the  close  of  my 
remarks,  and  the  most  impatient  anxiety  evinced  on 
all  sides  to  see  the  commencement  of  the  curious 
tricks  which  were  just  ready  to  be  introduced.  At 
this  moment,  with  a  sudden  yell,  the  men  all  sprung 
upon  their  feet ;  their  weapons  brandished  and  their 
buffalo  robes  thrown  back,  while  the  women  and  chil- 
dren seated  themselves  at  the  end  of  the  platform. 
Another  shrill  yell  of  the  war-whoop,  with  the  flou- 
rish of  their  weapons,  and  the  medicine-man  or  doctor 
commenced  with  tambour  (or  drum)  and  his  voice 
upon  the  war-song;  and  they  were  all  off  in  the 
dance.  At  the  first  rest,  when  they  suddenly  stopped, 
there  was  but  one  mingled  roar  of  applause,  which 
showed  to  the  poor  fellows  that  they  had  made  '  a 
hit,'  and  were  to  be  received  with  great  kindness  and 
interest.  This  stimulated  them  to  finish  it  with 
spirit ;  and  when  it  was  done,  and  they  were  seated 
a  few  moments  to  rest,  hundreds  were  ambitious  to 

2L 


398  THRILLING   ADVENTURES 

crowd  up  to  them  and  offer  them  their  hands.  It 
was  with  great  difficulty  that  I  could  get  the  audience 
quiet  enough  to  hear  my  explanations  of  the  war- 
dance — its  meaning,  and  the  objects  and  character  of 
the  war-whoop  which  they  had  just  heard.  I  gained 
the  patience  of  the  crowd  by  promising  them  a  num- 
ber of  dances  and  other  amusements,  all  of  which  I 
would  render  instructive  by  my  explanations,  and 
afford  all,  in  the  remotest  parts  of  the  room,  an  op- 
portunity to  shake  hands  with  the  Indians  when  their 
amusements  were  finished. 

"  After  my  explanations  and  their  pipe  were  fin- 
ished, they  arose  and  gave  the  Wa-he-no  dance,  as 
they  call  it.  Wa-be-no,  in  the  Ojibbeway  language, 
means  mystery,  and  their  mystery-dance  is  one  of 
their  choicest  dances,  only  given  at  some  occasion  of 
their  mystery-feasts,  or  for  the  accomplishment  of  some 
mysterious  design.  This  dance  is  amusing  and  gro- 
tesque, and  made  much  merriment  among  the  audi- 
ence. I  explained  the  meaning  of  this  also,  and  they 
afterwards  gave  some  surprising  illustrations  of  the 
mode  of  catching  and  throwing  the  ball  in  their  fa- 
vourite game  of  ball-play,  with  their  ball-sticks  in 
their  hands.  The  astonishing  quickness  and  certainty 
with  which  they  throw  and  catch  the  ball  in  their 
rackets  elicited  immense  applause;  and  after  this 
they  gave  the  ^  scalp-dance,'  which  is  given  when  a 
party  returns  from  war,  having  brought  home  scalps 
taken  from  their  enemies'  heads,  and  preserved  as 
trophies  by  the  victors.  In  this  dance  the  women, 
occupying  the  centre,  hold  up  the  scalps,  attached  to 


DANCE   OF    OJIBBEWAY   INDIANS.  399 

the  tops  of  little  poles,  while  men  who  have  come 
from  war  dance  around  in  a  circle,  brandishing  their 
weapons,  gnashing  their  teeth,  and  yelling  the  war- 
whoop  at  the  highest  key  of  their  voices.  At  the 
close  of  this  terrifying  dance,  which  seemed  to  come 
iust  up  to  the  anxiety  of  the  excited  audience,  there 
was  a  tremendous  roar  of  applause,  and,  in  the  midst 
of  the  uproar,  an  old  gentleman  took  from  his  pocket 
a  beautifully  chased  silver  tobacco-box,  and  handing 
it  to  me,  desired  me  to  give  it  to  the  old  chief,  and 
tell  him  to  carry  his  tobacco  in  it.  I  handed  it  to  the 
old  man,  and,  as  he  had  seen  the  hand  that  gave  it, 
he  sprang  upon  his  feet,  as  if  he  were  but  a  boy,  and 
reaching  out  his  hand,  grasped,  over  the  heads  of  the 
audience,  the  hand  of  the  venerable  old  gentleman, 
who  told  him  ^  he  was  happy  to  see  him,  and  to  make 
him  a  little  present  to  recollect  him  by.'  The  old 
chief  straightened  up  and  squared  himself  upon  the 
platform,  throwing  his  buffalo  robe  over  his  left 
shoulder  and  passing  it  forward  under  his  right  arm 
and  into  his  left  hand ;  and  with  the  most  benignant 
smile  (as  he  turned  his  box  a  moment  under  his  eye, 
and  passed  it  into  his  left  hand)  commenced — '  My 
friends,  though  I  am  old  I  thank  the  Great  Spirit  for 
giving  me  strength  to  say  a  few  words  to  you.  He 
has  allowed  me  to  live  many  years,  and  I  believe  it  is 
because  I  thank  him  for  all  his  gifts.  His  eye  was 
upon  us  when  we  were  on  the  great  salt  lake,  and  he 
has  brought  us  here  safe,  for  which  we  all  are  thank- 
ful. He  has  directed  you  all  to  come  here  this  night 
and  to  be  so  kind  to  us,  for  we  had  done  nothing  to 


400  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

make  you  come.  We  have  long  heard  of  the  Sag-c^ 
noshes,^  and  we  have  been  anxious  to  come  and  see 
them.  We  have  fought  for  them  and  with  them,  and 
our  fathers  and  brothers  have  bled  for  them.  There 
are  many  of  the  Sag-a-noshes  among  us,  and  we  love 
them.  The  Great  Spirit  has  smiled  upon  our  under- 
taking, and  he  has  guided  the  hand  of  my  brother  to 
make  me  this  present.  My  friends,  my  heart  is  warm 
and  I  am  thankful.  We  have  now  done  our  dancing 
and  singing,  and  we  offer  you  our  hands  in  friend- 
ship.* At  this  there  was  a  rush  towards  the  platform 
from  every  part  of  the  room  to  shake  the  hands  of 
the  Indians,  who  had  seated  themselves  on  the  front 
of  the  platform  for  the  purpose. 

"  These  greetings  for  half  an  hour  or  so  were  ex- 
ceedingly warm ;  and  to  make  them  more  impressive, 
several  persons  deposited  in  their  hands  valuable 
trinkets  and  money,  which  they  received  with  thanks." 

During  the  second  night's  performance,  a  most 
laughable  scene  took  place  between  the  Indians  and 
the  fair  portion  of  his  audience.  To  the  general 
reader  the  narrative  of  it  may  perhaps  afford  unmixed 
amusement;  the  more  reflecting  will  perhaps  dis- 
cover in  it  some  indications  that  the  Indian  character 
is  not  that  stoical  thing,  indifferent  alike  to  pleasure 
and  pain,  that  many  have  hitherto  represented  it : 

"  The  room  was  filled  long  before  they  made  their 
appearance ;  and  in  the  roar  and  confusion  of  ap- 
plause at  the  end  of  their  amusements,  there  was  a 
cry  from  the  end  of  the  room,  'Let  some  of  them 

*  £iiiglislinieu. 


DANCE    OF    OJIBBEWAY   INDIANS.  401 

come  this  way — ^we  can't  get  near  them — we  can't 
tell  whether  they  are  in  their  own  skins  or  in  flesh- 
ings.' And  another  hallooed  out, '  Let  that  handsome 
little  fellow  come  here,  (alluding  to  Samah,  who  was 
a  very  fine-looking  young  man ;)  here  is  a  lady  who 
wants  to  kiss  him  !' 

"  This  being  interpreted  to  him,  he  leaped  into  and 
through  the  crowd,  (as  he  would  dash  into  the  river 
that  he  was  to  ford,)  and  had  his  naked  arms  around 
her  neck  and  kissed  her  before  there  was  any  time 
for  an  explanation.  The  excitement  and  screaming 
and  laughing  among  the  women  in  that  part  of  the 
room  made  kissing  fashionable,  and  every  one  who 
laid  her  hand  upon  his  arm  or  his  naked  shoulders 
(and  those  not  a  few)  got  a  kiss,  gave  a  scream,  and 
presented  him  a  brooch,  a  ring,  or  some  other  keep- 
sake, and  went  home  with  a  streak  of  red  paint  on 
her  face,  and  perhaps  with  one  or  two  of  black  or 
green  upon  her  dress.  The  gallant  little  fellow 
squeezed  himself  through  this  dense  crowd,  kissing 
old  and  young  as  he  went,  and  returned  to  the  plat- 
form, from  which  he  held  up  and  displayed  his  tro- 
phies with  much  satisfaction. 

"  I  felt  it  my  duty  to  reprimand  him  for  his  rude- 
ness, and  told  him  it  was  not  fashionable  in  such 
crowds  to  kiss  the  ladies ;  to  which  he  replied,  that 
*  he  knew  what  he  was  about — the  white  ladies  are 
very  pretty  and  very  sweet,  and  I  gave  my  kisses 
only  where  they  were  asked  for.'  The  response  all 
over  the  house  was  that  'he  had  done  right;  good 
little  fellow,  he  has  done  no  harm.'— A  voice,  '  No, 

51  2l2 


402  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

no  harm,  indeed ;  I'll  kiss  him  again  if  he  will  come 
down,  charming  little  fellow !' — He  was  in  the  act  of 
leaping  off,  when  Cadotte,  the  interpreter,  seized  him. 
by  the  arm  and  turned  him  back." 


The  following  narrative  of  the  murder  of  two  fa- 
milies on  the  Tennessee  river,  (April  22,  1812,)  dis- 
plays in  the  most  glaring  light  the  cruelties  of  the 
savage  breast,  when,  through  long-concealed  hatred 
and  the  desire  of  revenge,  it  has  banished  or  sup- 
pressed every  nobler  feeling  of  untutored  nature. 

In  1812,  the  dread  of  an  attack  from  the  southern 
Indians  obliged  the  inhabitants  of  Humphreys  county 
to  collect  in  parties  of  fifteen  or  twenty,  comprising 
sometimes  several  families  in  one  house.  For  this 
purpose  John  Crawley  had  gone  with  his  family  to 
the  house  of  Jesse  Manly.  The  family  of  Crawley 
consisted  of  a  wife  and  four  children ;  Manly's,  of  a 
wife  and  three  children.  The  evening  before  the  at- 
tack, Manly  and  Crawley  were  both  called  from 
home,  taking  Crawley's  eldest  son  with  them.  They 
had  employed  C.  Hays,  a  promising  young  man,  to 
stay  at  the  house  until  their  return.  Early  next 
morning  he  had  saddled  his  horse,  and  had  proceeded 
about  one  hundred  yards  from  the  house,  when  the 
Indians,  who  were  concealed  behind  the  fence,  fired 
upon  him.     He  received  two  mortal  wounds.    While 


MURDER    OF    A    FAMILY   IN    TENNESSEE.  403 

one  of  the  Indians  was  scalping  him,  the  other  four 
ran  into  the  house.  One  of  Manly's  children,  outside 
of  the  house,  was  torn  in  pieces  by  their  dogs,  and 
afterwards  scalped. 

They  now  forced  the  door,  and,  snatching  Mrs. 
Manly's  child,  only  eight  days  old,  from  her,  scalped 
it  and  threw  it  into  the  fire.  An  indiscriminate 
butchery  of  the  other  children  followed,  until  five 
had  been  scalped  and  murdered. 

Mrs.  Manly  was  the  last  victim.  After  shooting 
her,  they  scalped  her  and  committed  atrocious  bar- 
barities on  her  body.  They  then  left  the  house,  tak- 
ing Mrs.  Crawley  along  as  prisoner.  About  four  hours 
after  the  Indians  were  gone,  the  neighbours  got  infor- 
mation of  the  murder  and  collected  at  the  house. 
They  found  Mrs.  Manly  alive  and  in  her  perfect 
senses.  Amidst  the  carnage,  one  of  Mrs.  Crawley's 
children  escaped  unhurt.  During  the  attack  upon 
the  house,  she  had  the  presence  of  mind  to  raise  a 
portion  of  the  floor,  and  throw  her  child  into  the 
cellar. 


404 


THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 


The  Sioux  Indians  are  the  dread  of  all  the  nu- 
merous tribes  scattered  from  Canada  to  Mexico,  and 
from  Council  Bluffs  to  the  Eocky  Mountains.  In 
numbers,  in  skill,  and  in  ferocity,  they  are  unequalled 
by  any  save  the  Camanches.  The  depredations  about 
to  be  described  were  committed  by  them  during  the 
late  war  between  the  United  States  and  Mexico. 

On  the  16th  of  December,  1846,  a  band  of  Sioux 
encountered  some  Omaha  Indians  near  Council  Bluffs. 
A  battle  ensued,  in  which  the  Omahas,  being  few  in 
number,  were  worsted.  The  Sioux  then  entered  the 
village  and  butchered  sixty  women  arid  children.  Four 
days  previous,  a  war-party  of  Sioux  had  invaded  the 
Omaha  country,  situated  sixty  miles  from  Bellevieu. 


DEPREDATIONS   BY   THE    SIOUX.  405 

They  found  none  there  but  women  and  children,  the 
warriors  having  gone  on  a  hunt.     At  once  the  work 
of  death  commenced.     The  slaughter  was  indiscrimi- 
nate and  terrible.      Seventy-three  were   killed   and 
nineteen  mortally  wounded.     Some  white  families, 
living  with  the  Omahas,  and  whose  male  members 
were  found  in  the  village,  shared  in  the  massacre. 
Only  two  of  them  escaped — one  of  them,  Joseph  La- 
fleche,  a  trader  in  the  employ  of  Mr.  Peter  A.  Sarpy, 
and  at  that  time  in  charge  of  a  stock  of  goods.     He 
arrived  at  Bellevieu  with  both  feet  frozen,  having  run 
the   whole   distance  barefoot.     Mr.   Sarpy  and  the 
agent.  Major  Miller,  despatched  a  party  of  men  to 
ascertain  the  facts.     They  soon  returned  with  the 
melancholy  news.     The  scalped  and  murdered  ones 
had  been  found ;  property,  household  goods,  the  pro- 
ductions of  the  field,  had  been  destroyed  or  carried 
away.     The  snow  for  miles  around  was  strewn  with 
broken  articles  and  tracked  with  blood.     The  village 
resembled  a  slaughter  house.     Five  of  the  Sioux  had 
been  stabbed  by  th«  Omaha  women.     A  few  days 
before  this  tragic  event,  the  Omahas  had  been  at- 
tacked by  a  war-party  of  Ayouas  under  a  celebrated 
chief,  White  Cloud.     On  that  occasion,  they  had  four 
warriors  wounded  and  one  woman  killed.     In  the 
same  month,  the  Sioux  and  Osages  held  a  council  to 
deliberate  upon  a  plan  for  uniting  their  forces  and  in- 
fluence against  the  United  States — possibly  under  the 
hope  of  obtaining  aid  from  Mexico. 

In  1847,  the  Sioux  commenced  a  war  of  extermi- 
nation against  the  Ottoes  and  Pawnees.     In  Septem- 


406  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

ber,  they  visited  a  building  called  "the  farmer's 
house,"  in  the  Pawnee  village,  and  destroyed  a  black- 
smith's shop,  together  with  some  tools  and  furniture. 
On  the  17th  of  the  same  month,  they  attacked  an 
Ottoe  village,  destroyed  all  the  corn  in  the  fields, 
killed  twenty  of  the  tribe,  and  burned  the  village. 
At  the  same  time,  they  threatened  the  American 
garrison  at  Fort  Kearny,  ravaged  and  laid  waste  all 
the  surrounding  country,  and  drove  the  tribes  hostile 
to  them  from  their  usual  hunting-grounds.  On  the 
26th  of  May,  seven  of  their  warriors  entered  the 
Ottoe  country  and  concealed  themselves  near  a  field 
which  the  Ottoes  had  prepared  for  planting  their  corn. 
Three  squaws,  who  were  approaching  the  village, 
were  fired  upon.  Two  fell  dead ;  the  other  gave  the 
alarm.  The  warriors  rushed  out  and  pursued  the 
Sioux,  who  fled  into  a  large  weed  brake.  This  the 
Ottoes  surrounded  and  set  on  fire,  and,  as  the  mur- 
derers attempted  to  escape,  they  were  massacred 
without  mercy.  The  war  between  these  tribes  is  still 
raging,  (1849.) 


Catlin  gives  an  astonishing  account  of  the  skill 
with  which  the  Camanche  Indians  of  northern  Texas 
manage  their  horses. 

The  Camanches,  like  the  northern  tribes,  have 
many  games,  and  in  pleasant  weather  seem  to  be 


B 


w 


INDIAN    HORSEMANSHIP.  409 

continually  practising  more  or  less  of  them  on  the 
prairies  back  of  and  contiguous  to  their  village. 

In  their  ball-plays  and  some  other  games,  they  are 
far  behind  the  Sioux  and  others  of  the  northern 
tribes ;  but,  in  racing  horses  and  riding,  they  are  not 
equalled  by  any  other  Indians  on  the  continent.  Racing 
horses,  it  would  seem,  is  a  constant  and  almost  inces- 
sant exercise,  and  their  principal  mode  of  gambling ; 
and  perhaps  a  more  finished  set  of  jockeys  are  not  to 
be  found.  The  exercise  of  these  people,  in  a  country 
where  horses  are  so  abundant  and  the  country  so  fine 
for  riding,  is  chiefly  done  on  horseback ;  and  it  "  stands 
to  reason"  that  such  a  people,  who  have  been  practising 
from  their  childhood,  should  become  exceedingly  ex- 
pert in  this  wholesome  and  beautiful  exercise.  Among 
their  feats  of  riding,  there  is  one  that  has  astonished 
me  more  than  any  thing  of  the  kind  I  have  ever 
seen,  or  expect  to  see,  in  my  life — a  stratagem  of  war 
learned  and  practised  by  every  young  man  in  the 
tribe,  by  which  he  is  able  to  drop  his  body  upon 
the  side  of  his  horse  at  the  instant  he  is  passing, 
effectually  screened  from  his  enemies'  weapons  as  he 
lies  in  a  horizontal  position  behind  the  body  of  his 
horse,  with  his  heel  hanging  over  the  horse's  back, 
by  which  he  has  the  power  of  throwing  himself  up 
again,  and  changing  to  the  other  side  of  the  horse  if 
necessary.  In  this  wonderful  condition  he  will  hang 
while  his  horse  is  at  fullest  speed,  carrying  with  him 
his  bow  and  his  shield,  and  also  his  long  lance  of 
fourteen  feet  in  length,  all  or  either  of  which  he  will 
wield  upon  his  enemy  as  he  passes,  rising  and  throw- 

52  2M 


410  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

ing  his  arrows  over  the  horse's  back,  or,  with  equal 
ease  and  equal  success,  under  the  horse's  neck. 

Since  writing  the  above,  I  have  conversed  with 
some  of  the  young  men  of  the  Pawnees,  who  practise 
the  same  feat,  and  who  told  me  they  could  throw  the 
arrow  from  under  the  horse's  belly,  and  elevate  it 
upon  an  enemy  with  deadly  effect ! 

This  feat  I  did  not  see  performed;  but,  from  what 
I  did  see,  I  feel  inclined  to  believe  that  these  young 
men  were  boasting  of  no  more  than  they  were  able 
to  perform. 

This  astonishing  feat,  which  the  young  men  have 
been  repeatedly  playing  off  to  our  surprise  as  well  as 
amusement,  while  they  have  been  galloping  about  in 
front  of  our  tents,  completely  puzzled  the  whole  of 
us,  and  appeared  to  be  the  result  of  magic  rather  than 
of  skill  acquired  by  practice.  I  had  several  times 
great  curiosity  to  approach  them  to  ascertain  by  what 
means  their  bodies  could  be  suspended  in  this  man- 
ner, where  nothing  could  be  seen  but  the  heel  hang- 
ing over  the  horse's  back.  In  these  endeavours,  I  was 
continually  frustrated,  until  one  day  I  coaxed  a  young 
fellow  up  within  a  little  distance  of  me  by  offering 
him  a  few  plugs  of  tobacco,  and  he  in  a  moment 
solved  the  difficulty,  so  far  as  to  render  it  apparently 
more  feasible  than  before ;  yet  leaving  it  one  of  the 
most  extraordinary  results  of  practice  and  persever- 
ing endeavours.  I  found  on  examination  that  a  short 
hair-halter  was  passed  around  under  the  neck  of  the 
horse,  and  both  ends  tightly  braided  into  the  mane 
on  the  withers,  leaving  a  loop  to  hang  under  the 


INDIAN   HORSEMANSHIP.  411 

neck  and  against  the  breast,  which,  being  caught  up 
in  the  hand,  makes  a  sling  into  which  the  elbow  falls, 
taking  the  weight  of  the  body  on  the  middle  of  the 
upper  arm.  Into  this  loop  the  rider  drops  suddenly 
and  fearlessly,  leaving  his  heel  to  hang  over  the  back 
of  the  horse  to  steady  him,  and  also  to  restore  him 
when  he  wishes  to  gain  his  upright  position  on  the 
horse's  back. 

Besides  this  wonderful  art,  these  people  have  seve- 
ral other  feats  of  horsemanship,  which  they  are  con- 
tinually showing  off;  which  are  pleasing  and  extra- 
ordinary, and  of  which  they  seem  very  proud.  A 
people  who  spend  so  very  great  a  part  of  their  lives 
actually  on  their  horses'  backs,  must  needs  become 
exceedingly  expert  in  every  thing  that  pertains  to 
riding,  to  war,  or  to  the  chase ;  and  I  am  ready,  with- 
out hesitation,  to  pronounce  the  Camanches  the  most 
extraordinary  horsemen  that  I  have  seen  yet  in  all 
my  travels,  and  I  doubt  very  much  whether  any  peo- 
ple in  the  world  can  surpass  them. 


412 


THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 


During  the  Revolutionary  War  the  British  were 
never  more  sanguine  of  ultimate  success  than  at  the 
period  when  General  Burgoyne  was  marching  from 
Canada  to  New  York.  The  progress  of  that  officer 
from  the  St.  Lawrence  to  Vermont  was  a  series  of 
rapid  triumphs.  No  American  army  could  be  brought 
against  him ;  towns  and  villages  were  deserted  at  his 
approach ;  all  the  south  of  New  England  was  in  con- 
fusion, and  it  waL  confidently  anticipated  that  the 
army  at  New  York  would  soon  join  him,  and  thus 
cut  off  all  communication  between  the  Middle  States 
and  the  North. 

The  turning  point  of  this  splendid  career  was  Ben- 
nington ;  yet  previous  to  that  battle,  the  indefatigar 
ble  energy  of  General  Schuyler  had  nearly  completed 
the  plan  which  ultimately  ruined  Burgoyne.     One 


BATTLE    OF    ORISKANY.  418 

portion  of  this  plan  was  the  defence  of  Fort  Schuyler. 
The  garrison,  commanded  by  Lieutenant-colonel 
Gansevoort,  was  besieged  by  a  large  body  of  British 
Tories  and  Indians,  led  by  St.  Leger,  but  behaving  with 
heroic  courage,  their  savage  enemies  were  driven  off 
with  shame  and  heavy  loss.  It  was  while  advancing 
to  relieve  the  garrison,  that  General  Herkimer,  with 
the  militia  of  Tryon  county.  New  York,  was  surprised 
by  the  enemy,  his  march  arrested,  and  himself  mor- 
tally wounded. 

The  battle  was  fought  August  6,  1777.  Fired  by 
the  atrocities  of  the  Indians,  the  militia  collected  from 
all  quarters,  and,  led  by  General  Herkimer,  marched 
hastily  toward  the  scene  of  action.  On  the  5th,  they 
reached  Oriskany,  and  next  morning  the  general  an- 
nounced his  intention  of  remaining  there  to  await  re- 
inforcements. This  prudent  precaution  was  over- 
ruled ;  officers  and  men  clamoured  to  be  led  against  the 
enemy,  and  accused  their  leader  of  cowardice.  Yield- 
ing to  their  importunities,  he  gave  orders  to  advance, 
and  the  party  again  moved  forward  in  high  spirits 
with  much  confusion.  After  marching  about  two 
miles,  they  reached  a  gentle  acclivity,  bounded  by  a 
deep  ravine,  which,  after  crossing  the  road  from  north 
to  south,  swept  toward  the  east  so  as  to  enclose  a 
semicircle.  The  bottom  of  this  ravine  was  marshy, 
and  the  road  crossed  it  by  means  of  a  causeway.  At 
this  place,  St.  Leger,  having  heard  of  Herkimer's  ap- 
proach, had  posted  a  force  of  Indians  and  Tories  under 
Butler  and  Brant,  to  oppose  him.  They  occupied 
the  rising  ground  parallel  to  the  ravine,  and  were  so 

2m2 


414  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

arranged  in  a  circle,  having  only  one  small  gap 
through  which  the  Americans  could  march. 

Before  leaving  Oriskany,  Herkimer  determined  to 
send  forward  scouts  to  clear  the  road  ;  but  the  design 
was  either  neglected  or  abandoned.  The  militia  ad- 
vanced with  blind  speed  into  the  enemy's  midst ;  and 
were  roused  from  their  fatal  indifference  only  by  the 
Indian  war-whoop.  They  found  themselves  within 
the  fatal  circle,  the  opening  to  which  was  immediate- 
ly closed.  The  rear  guard  alone  were  excluded,  but 
they  fled  at  the  first  fire.  The  devoted  band  received 
a  galling  fire  which  completely  broke  their  ranks; 
their  general  fell  wounded  in  the  early  part  of  the 
action,  and  the  savages,  sure  of  success,  were  prepar- 
ing to  charge  with  the  tomahawk.  Happily  Herki- 
mer was  still  able  to  direct  the  battle ;  his  men  formed 
into  circles,  or,  placed  back  to  back,  received  the  In- 
dians on  the  points  of  their  knives  and  bayonets,  and 
the  terrible  scene  commenced  of  a  conflict  hand  to 
hand  with  infuriated  savages.  Personal  danger  seemed 
forgotten  in  the  struggle,  and  the  work  of  butchery 
was  arrested  only  by  a  heavy  storm.  The  enemy  re- 
tired to  some  neighbouring  trees,  and  General  Herki- 
mer formed  his  men  in  a  circle.  In  the  early  part  of 
the  battle,  if  an  American  fired  a  gun  from  behind  a 
tree,  an  Indian  rushed  up  and  tomahawked  him  be- 
fore he  could  reload.  Herkimer  now  placed  two  men 
at  a  single  tree,  one  to  reserve  his  fire  until  an  Indian 
ran  up  as  before. 

After  an  hour's  intermission,  the  battle  was  re- 
newed.    The  Americans  received  the  charge  with 


FIGHT   BETWEEN    CROWS    AND    BLACKFEET.        415 

firmness,  while  their  hidden  marksmen  picked  off  so 
many  of  the  savages,  that  they  began  to  give  way. 
At  this  moment,  a  fresh  body  of  Tories,  known  as 
Johnson's  Greens,  arrived.  The  greatest  part  of  these 
men  were  personally  known  to  the  Americans,  a  cir- 
cumstance which  increased  their  former  fury  to  mad- 
ness. After  discharging  his  piece,  each  man  sprang 
upon  his  selected  victim,  throttled  or  stabbed  him  and 
rushed  upon  another.  The  field  was  covered  with 
groups  of  friends  and  foes,  each  grasped  in  his  enemy's 
embrace.  This  obstinate  resistance  discouraged  the 
Indians,  who  soon  broke  and  fled  in  disorder.  They 
were  soon  followed  by  the  main  body,  thus  leaving 
the  militia  masters  of  the  field. 

In  this  severe  struggle  the  Americans  lost  two  hun- 
dred, or,  according  to  Marshall,  four  hundred  men. 
The  British  loss  was  equally  heavy.  General  Her- 
kimer was  removed  from  the  field  on  a  litter,  and  con- 
veyed to  his  house  on  the  Mohawk,  where  his  leg 
was  amputated.  The  operation  was  unskilfully  per- 
formed, and  in  a  few  days  he  died.  He  was  buried 
near  his  own  house  in  the  town  of  Danube. 


In  June,  1845,  a  party  of  about  seven  hundred 
Crow  Indians  were  driven  from  their  own  country  by 
the  Sioux,  to  the  vicinity  of  fort  F.  A.  C.  near  the 
Falls  of  the  Missouri.     On  the  17th  they  encountered 


416  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

a  small  party  of  Blackfeet  warriors,  whom  they  im- 
mediately attacked.  Notwithstanding  the  great  dis- 
parity in  numbers,  the  battle  was  fierce  and  bloody. 
Twenty-two  of  the  Blackfeet  were  killed,  and  one 
hundred  women  and  children  carried  away,  together 
with  three  hundred  horses.  At  this  moment  they 
beheld  the  main  body  of  their  party  approaching; 
the  battle  was  renewed  with  terrible  fury,  and  the 
Crows,  though  superior  in  number,  were  in  their  turn 
driven  back.  They  retreated  to  a  strongly  fortified 
spot,  carrying  with  them  the  horses  and  goods.  Most 
of  the  prisoners  escaped.  The  Blackfeet  made  several 
desperate  charges,  but  were  finally  obliged  to  retire. 
About  a  dozen  of  their  number  were  killed  and  many 
more  wounded. 

At  the  time  of  this  battle  the  Blackfeet  tribe  were 
west  of  the  Eocky  Mountains,  near  the  head  waters 
of  the  Columbia,  whither  it  is  their  custom  to  retire 
every  spring.  Those  attacked  by  the  Crows  were 
consequently  only  an  advanced  party  which  had 
crossed  the  mountains  earlier  than  usual.  The  Crows 
had  themselves  been  driven  into  the  neighbourhood 
where  the  fight  occurred  by  the  Sioux,  who  were 
out  in  great  force  against  them.  At  other  times  when 
the  Blackfeet  are  absent,  they  usually  visit  that  sec- 
tion of  country.  About  a  fortnight  before  the  fight, 
a  small  party  of  the  Blackfeet  had  attacked  the  guard 
at  fort  F.  A.  C,  (the  trading  post  of  the  American 
Fur  Company,)  killed  one  man,  seriously  wounded 
another,  and  stole  thirty  horses.  The  whole  affair  will 
serve  to  show  the  dangers  to  which  the  western  set- 


A  Blaokfoot  Warrior. 


53 


SAVAGE    PATRIOTISM.  419 

tiers  are  exposed,  as  well  as  the  condition  of  constant 
war  and  ferment  in  which  the  Indians  of  the  great 
West  are  still  engaged. 


The  following  anecdote  is  given  in  "  Notes  on  the 
Michigan  Territory,"  lately  published  : 

The  Indians  of  Fond  du  Lac,  a  small  village  of 
about  fifty  men,  from  their  pacific  dispositions,  were 
branded  by  their  neighbours,  the  Sioux,  with  coward- 
ice. Feeling  indignant  at  this,  thirteen  of  them, 
without  consulting  their  friends,  who  were  then  nego- 
tiating a  peace  with  the  Sioux,  formed  a  league  to 
rescue  their  tribe  from  the  imputation  on  their  cou- 
rage, and  secretly  penetrated  into  the  Sioux  country. 
Unexpectedly  they  came  upon  a  party  of  one  hun- 
dred Sioux,  and  began  to  prepare  for  battle ;  but  the 
Sioux,  seeing  their  small  number,  advised  them  to 
return  home ;  that  they  admired  their  valour,  and  in- 
timated to  them  that,  if  they  persisted,  their  destruc- 
tion was  inevitable.  The  Fond  du  Lac  Indians  re- 
plied that  they  had  set  out  with  a  determination  to 
fight  the  first  enemy  they  should  meet,  however  un- 
equal their  numbers  might  be,  and  would  have  en- 
tered their  villages,  if  none  had  appeared  sooner. 
They  had  resolved  in  this  manner  to  show  their 
brethren  that  the  stigmas  that  were  thrown  upon 
them  were  unjust,  "for  no  men  were  braver  than 


420  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

their  warriors,"  and  that  they  were  ready  and  would 
sacrifice  their  lives  in  defence  of  the  character  of  their 
*ribe.  They  encamped  a  short  distance  from  the 
Sioux,  and,  during  the  night,  dug  holes  in  the  ground, 
to  which  they  might  retreat  and  fight  to  the  last  ex- 
tremity. They  appointed  one  of  their  number,  the 
youngest,  to  take  a  station  at  a  distance  and  witness 
the  struggle,  and  instructed  him  to  make  his  escape 
to  their  own  country,  when  he  had  witnessed  the 
death  of  all  the  rest,  and  state  the  circumstances 
under  which  they  had  fallen. 

Early  in  the  morning  they  attacked  the  Sioux  in 
their  camp,  who,  immediately  sallying  out  upon  them, 
forced  them  back  to  the  last  place  of  retreat  they  had 
resolved  upon.  They  fought  desperately,  and  more 
than  twice  their  number  were  killed  before  they  lost 
their  lives.  Eight  of  them  were  tomahawked  in  the 
holes  to  which  they  retreated,  and  the  other  four  fell 
on  the  field  ;  the  thirteenth  returned  home  according 
to  the  directions  he  had  received,  and  related  the  cir- 
cumstances to  his  tribe.  They  mourned  their  death ; 
but,  delighted  with  the  imexampled  bravery  of  their 
friends,  they  were  happy  in  their  grief. 


FARMERS   BROTHER. 


421 


During  the  second  war  with  England,  the  Seneca 
nation  of  Indians,  who  reside  in  the  neighbourhood 
of  Buffalo,  were  employed  by  the  American  govern- 
ment, and  attached  themselves  to  the  army,  then 
about  to  enter  Canada,  under  the  command  of  Gene- 
ral Brown.  The  principal  chief  of  this  tribe  was 
called  '^ Farmers  Brother,''  a  stout,  athletic  warrior. 
The  frosts  of  more  than  eighty  winters  had  passed 
over  his  head,  and  yet  he  retained  his  faculties  in  an 
eminent  degree.  He  possessed  all  the  ardour  of  his 
young  associates,  and  was  uncommonly  animated  at 
the  prospect  which  a  fresh  harvest  of  laurels  pre- 
sented to  his  mind. 

This  celebrated  chief,  in  the  war  between  England 
and  France,  was  engaged  in  the  service  of  the  latter. 
He  once  pointed  out  to  the  writer  of  this  account 

2N 


422  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

the  spot  where,  with  a  party  of  Indians,  he  lay  in 
ambush — ^patiently  waiting  the  approach  of  a  guard 
that  accompanied  the  English  teams  employed  be- 
tween the  Falls  of  Niagara  and  the  British  garrison. 
The  fort  there  had  surrendered  to  Sir  William  John- 
ston. The  place  selected  for  that  purpose  is  now 
known  by  the  name  of  the  "  DeviFs  Hole,"  and  is 
three  and  a  half  miles  below  the  famous  cataract 
upon  the  United  States  side  of  the  strait.  The  mind 
can  scarcely  conceive  a  more  dismal-looking  den.  A 
large  ravine,  occasioned  by  the  falling  in  of  the  per- 
pendicular bank,  made  dark  by  the  spreading  branches 
of  the  birch  and  cedar,  which  had  taken  root  below, 
and  the  low  murmurings  of  the  rapids  in  the  chasm, 
added  to  the  solemn  thunder  of  the  cataract  itself, 
conspire  to  render  the  scene  truly  awful.  The  Eng- 
lish party  were  not  aware  of  the  dreadful  fate  which 
awaited  them.  Unconscious  of  danger,  the  drivers 
were  gayly  whistling  to  their  dull  ox-teams.  On  their 
arrival  at  this  spot.  Farmer's  Brother  and  his  band 
rushed  from  the  thicket  that  had  concealed  them,  and 
commenced  a  horrid  butchery.  So  unexpected  was 
the  event,  and  so  completely  were  the  English  de- 
prived of  all  presence  of  mind,  but  a  feeble  resistance 
was  made.  The  guard,  the  teamsters,  the  oxen,  and 
the  wagons  were  precipitated  into  the  gulf  But  two 
of  them  escaped.  A  Mr.  Stedman,  who  lived  at 
Schlosser,  above  the  Falls,  being  mounted  on  a  fl^et 
horse,  made  good  his  retreat ;  also  one  of  the  soldiers, 
who  was  caught  on  the  projecting  root  of  a  cedar, 
which  sustained  him  until  assured  by  the  distant  yell 


1 


,  farmer's  brother.  423 

of  the  savages  they  had  quitted  the  ground.  He 
then  clambered  up,  and  proceeded  to  Fort  Niagara 
with  the  intelligence  of  the  disaster.  A  small  rivu- 
let,  which  pours  itself  down  the  precipice,  was  lite- 
rally coloured  with  the  blood  of  the  vanquished,  and 
has  ever  since  borne  the  name  of  ''The  Bloody  Run!' 

In  the  war  of  the  Eevolution,  Farmer's  Brother 
evinced  his  hostility  to  the  Americans  upon  every 
occasion  that  occurred ;  and  with  the  same  zeal  he 
engaged  in  the  late  war  against  his  former  friends — 
the  British. 

Another  anecdote  of  this  chief  will  show  his 
promptness  and  decision  of  character.  A  short  time 
before  the  United  States  army  crossed  the  Niagara, 
Farmer's  Brother  chanced  to  observe  an  Indian  who 
had  mingled  with  the  Senecas,  and  whom  he  in- 
stantly recognised  as  belonging  to  the  Mohawks,  a 
tribe  living  in  Canada,  and  then  employed  in  the  ene- 
my's service.  He  went  up  to  him  and  addressed  him 
in  the  Indian  tongue : — "  I  know  you  well ;  you  be- 
long to  the  Mohawks — ^you  are  a  spy ;  here  is  my 
rifle — my  tomahawk — my  scalping  knife — I  give  you 
your  choice ;  which  of  them  shall  I  use  ? — but  I  am 
in  haste!"  The  young  warrior,  finding  resistance 
vain,  chose  to  be  despatched  with  the  rifle.  He  was 
ordered  to  lie  upon  the  grass,  while,  with  the  left  foot 
upon  the  breast  of  his  victim,  the  chief  lodged  the 
contents  of  the  rifle  in  his  head.  It  should  be  re- 
membered that  this  proceeding  was  not  at  all  incon- 
sistent with  the  practice  of  civilized  nations  in  the 


424  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

case  of  a  spy.  On  proof  of  the  fact,  he  is  put  to 
death. 

Farmer's  Brother  possessed  many  estimable  traits 
of  character.  He  was  as  firm  a  friend,  where  he 
promised  fidelity,  as  a  bitter  enemy  to  those  against 
whom  he  contended,  and  would  rather  lose  the  last 
drop  of  his  blood  than  betray  the  cause  he  had 
espoused.  He  was  fond  of  recounting  his  exploits, 
and,  savage-like,  dwelt  with  much  satisfaction  upon 
the  number  of  scalps  he  had  taken  in  his  skirmishes 
with  the  whites. 

In  company  with  several  other  chiefs,  he  once  paid 
a  visit  to  General  Washington,  who  presented  him 
with  a  silver  medal.  This  he  constantly  wore  sus- 
pended from  his  neck,  and  so  precious  was  the  gift  in 
his  eyes,  that  he  often  declared  he  would  lose  it  only 
with  his  life.  Soon  after  the  battles  of  Chippewa 
and  Bridgewater,  this  veteran  paid  the  debt  of  nature 
at  the  Seneca  village,  and,  out  of  respect  to  his 
bravery,  he  was  there  interred  with  military  honours 
from  the  fifth  regiment  of  United  States  Infantry. 


In  the  northern  part  of  the  American  continent, 
the  subterraneous  retreats  of  the  black  bear  may  be 
easily  discovered  by  the  mist  which  uniformly  hangs 
about  the  entrance  of  the  den,  as  the  animal's  heat 
and  breathing  prevent  the  mouth  of  the  cave  from 


INDIAN    BEAR   HUNT.  427 

being  entirely  closed,  however  deep  the  snow  may 
be.  As  the  black  bear  usually  retires  to  his  winter 
quarters  before  any  quantity  of  snow  has  fallen,  and 
does  not  again  venture  abroad  till  the  end  of  March 
or  the  beginning  of  April,  he  therefore  spends  at 
least  four  months  in  a  state  of  torpidity,  and  without 
obtaining  food.  It  is  therefore  not  very  surprising, 
though  the  bear  goes  into  his  winter  quarters  exces- 
sively fat,  that  he  should  come  forth  in  the  spring  a 
melancholy  picture  of  emaciation. 

The  black  bear  is  sometimes  destroyed  by  blocking 
up  the  mouth  of  the  cave  with  logs  of  wood,  and 
then  suddenly  breaking  open  the  top  of  it,  they  kill  the 
animal  with  a  spear  or  gun.  This  method  is,  however, 
considered  both  cowardly  and  wanton,  as  the  bear  can 
neither  escape  nor  offer  the  slightest  injury  to  his 
merciless  destroyers.  The  northern  Indians  display 
great  ingenuity  in  tlie  manner  in  which  they  throw 
the  noose  around  the  neck  of  this  animal ;  but  the 
barbarous  way  in  which  they  despatch  him  with  the 
hatchet  or  tomahawk,  after  having  drawn  him  to  the 
top  of  his  hole,  has  little  in  it  to  admire. 

Sometimes  he  is  caught  in  traps,  strong  steel  ones 
chained  to  a  tree  and  laid  in  a  path  which  has  been 
partially  stained  with  blood,  by  drawing  a  newly- 
killed  carcass  along  it.  At  other  times,  a  noose,  sus- 
pended from  a  strong  bough,  is  substituted  for  the  trap, 
in  a  path  similarly  prepared.  The  bear,  whose  sense 
of  smell  is  exceedingly  keen,  always  follows  upon 
the  track  along  which  a  dead  animal  has  been  drawn, 


428  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

even  although  it  has  left  no  trace  perceptible  by  the 
human  senses. 

The  common  mode  of  hunting  this  bear  is  by  two 
or  three  well-trained  dogs.  When  he  finds  that  he  is 
pursued,  he  generally  pushes  forward  for  eight  or  ten 
miles,  and  sometimes  more,  in  nearly  a  straight  course. 
But  when  the  dogs  come  up  to  him,  he  turns  and 
strikes  at  them  with  his  paws,  the  blows  of  which 
are  so  severe,  that  one  of  them,  taking  effect,  would 
instantly  fell  the  strongest  dog  to  the  ground.  The 
great  art  in  training  the  dogs  consists  in  teaching  them 
to  avoid  these  blows,  and  keep  harassing  the  animal 
till  he  is  exhausted.  When  that  is  the  case,  he  climbs 
a  tree  to  the  height  of  twenty  or  thirty- feet,  at  the 
root  of  which  the  dogs  remain  and  "give  tongue"  till 
the  hunter  makes  his  appearance.  When  the  hunter 
appears,  the  bear  drops  to  the  ground,  not  for  the 
purpose  of  attacking  him,  but  of  making  a  new  effort 
at  escape  from  the  now  increased  number  of  his  pur- 
suers. But,  as  he  is  heated  by  the  effort  of  climbing 
and  by  the  fall,  though  bears,  from  their  form  and 
also  the  nature  of  their  covering,  fall  with  much  less 
injury  than  any  other  animals  of  the  same  weight,  he 
is  much  more  annoyed  by  the  dogs  than  before.  This 
makes  him  take  to  a  tree  again  for  refuge.  He  then 
climbs  as  high  as  it  will  bear  him,  and  endeavours  to 
conceal  himself  among  the  thick  foliage.  The  hunter 
now  strikes  against  the  trunk  of  the  tree  as  if  he 
were  felling  it,  which  soon  puts  the  bear  in  motion. 
He  makes  his  way  to  the  extremity  of  a  long  and 
lofty  branch,  at  which  he  draws  himself  partially  into 


THE    CATASTROPHE.  429 

the  form  of  a  ball,  and  drops  down  often  from  such  a 
height  as  that  he  rebounds  up  again  for  several  feet, 
as  if  he  were  an  elastic  substance.  He  rises  again 
from  this  fall,  still  uninjured,  and  seeks  safety  by 
flight  as  before.  His  exertions  are,  however,  so  much 
greater  than  those  of  his  pursuers,  that,  whatever 
may  be  his  strength,  they  in  time  wear  him  out,  and 
he  is  ultimately  shot,  either  when  standing  up  to  give 
battle  to  the  dogs,  or  when  attempting  to  hide  himself 
behind  the  trunk  of  a  tree.  Such  is  the  mode  of 
bear-hunting  where  there  are  trees  ;  but,  in  the  large 
open  prairies,  he  runs  much  farther,  and  the  hunt  is 
one  of  greater  ardour,  unless  when  he  is  shot  at  an 
early  stage.  But,  if  the  marksman  is  not  skilful, 
shooting  is  rather  a  dangerous  matter  while  the  bear 
is  unexhausted,  as  the  pain  arouses  all  his  strength, 
and  arms  him  with  the  most  desperate  powers  of  re- 
venge, so  that  he  would  be  too  much  both  for  dogs 
and  hunter. 

The  son  of  a  Kickapoo  chief,  being  engaged  to  a 
Wiattanon  girl,  came  in  quest  of  her  to  Fort  Knox, 
at  Yincennes — though  an  Indian  war  was  then  wag- 
ing against  the  United  States ;  and,  in  this,  the  Kicka- 
poos  were  among  the  most  formidable.  We  happened 
to  be  there  at  this  time.  It  was  summer,  and  the 
weather  very  warm.  The  young  Kickapoo  was  ad- 
mitted into  the  fort,  and,  among  other  presents,  threw 
down  several  joints  of  venison ;  observing  to  the  com 
manding  officer,  that,  if  he  could  not  eat  them  him- 


430  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

self,  (for  they  were  tainted,)  they  might  answer  for 
his  hogs  and  dogs^ — muttering,  at  the  same  time,  and 
making  the  sign  of  a  halter  round  his  neck,  that  per- 
haps they  might  hang  him  for  appearing  among  them, 
(alluding,  no  doubt,  to  the  then  Indian  war.) 

On  the  evening  of  the  same  day  the  young  Kicka- 
poo  got  into  a  drunken  frolic  with  other  savages, 
among  whom  was  a  Wiattanon.  The  latter  said  to 
the  Kickapoo,  "  May  be  I  shall  kill  you  :"  and,  with- 
out further  preface,  he  plunged  a  knife  into  him — 
wliich  instantly  proved  fatal.  At  this  moment  the 
Wiattanons  in  company  took  the  alarm — ^fearful  of 
the  consequences  that  might  befall  their  tribe,  from 
the  death  of  the  son  of  a  powerful  chieftain.  It  was 
therefore  determined  to  propitiate  the  Kickapoo's 
father,  by  sending  a  deputation  to  him  with  the  pre* 
sent  of  a  ten  gallon  keg  of  whisky  as  a  peace-offering. 
This  was  furnished  for  the  purpose,  on  request,  by  the 
commanding  officer  of  the  fort.  They  had  not  gone 
far  when  the  precious  liquor  proved  too  great  a  temp- 
tation :  the  keg  was  broached,  and  soon  emptied. 
What  then  was  to  be  done  ? 

Next  morning,  however,  they  appeared  again  at 
the  fort — deplored  the  " accident"  (as  they  called  it,) 
and  begged  for  another  keg  of  liquor.  This  too  was 
granted — and  off  they  went  again.  But  this  keg  met 
with  the  fate  of  the  former :  its  contents  proved  an 
irresistible  temptation.  As  no  more  whisky  could 
now  be  obtained,  the  mission  fell  through. 

*  Appellations  the  Indians  bestow  upon  menial  servants.     This 
savours  strongly  of  the  pride  of  independence. 


THE    CATASTROPHE.  431 

Upon  this,  the  Indians  appeared  before  the  fort, 
with  the  murderer  in  custody,  under  the  window  of 
the  writer,*  and  demanded  justice  to  be  done  on  the 
prisoner.  He  told  them  it  was  an  affair  for  them- 
selves  to  settle,  as  it  was  confined  to  themselves  alone. 
They  now  marched  in  Indian  file,  carrying  off  the 
murderer,  who,  every  now  and  then,  looked  fearfully 
behind  him — for  the  brother  of  the  deceased's  sweet- 
heart had  taken  post  next  in  his  rear.  They  had  not 
proceeded  far,  when  this  brother  plunged  a  knife  into 
the  prisoner's  back,  which  broke,  and  a  part  was  left 
buried  in  the  wound.  The  whole  party  now  returned 
before  the  fort — the  wounded  man  singing  his  death- 
song.  He  was  borne  off  by  his  friends  into  a  thicket, 
in  the  prairie,  where  all  their  efforts  to  extract  the 
broken  blade  proved  ineffectual ;  and  the  next  day  or 
two  he  died. 

The  Spider,  a  brother  of  the  murderer,  and  then 
at  Kaskaskia,  hearing  of  the  predicament  which  had 
befallen  the  latter,  hastened  to  Yincennes ;  but  death 
had  closed  the  scene.  He  came  in  time,  however,  to 
attend  the  funeral.  When  the  body  was  about  to  be 
consigned  to  the  earth,  he  opened  the  blanket  which 
enveloped  the  corpse,  and  taking  off  a  silver  orna- 
ment which  encompassed  his  head,  he  bound  it  around 
that  of  the  defunct,  saying,  "  There,  brother !  this 
will  bring  you  respect  in  the  land  of  spirits." 

*  He  was  a  judge  of  the  supreme  court  of  the  North-western  Ter- 
ritory, and  then  upon  the  circuit  to  open  the  courts  through  that 
extensive  region. 


482  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 


The  following  was  communicated  to  the  Cincinnati 
v^aronicle,  in  the  autumn  of  1829,  by  a  gentleman,  in 
substance,  as  related  below.  He  received  it  from  the 
mouth  of  Ash  himself,  who  resides  on  the  Ohio,  in 
Indiana,  upon  lands  first  presented  to  him  by  the 
Indians,  and  afterwards  confirmed,  in  part,  by  Con- 
gress— he  paying  for  the  same,  "We  copy  it  from  Tur- 
ner's Traits  of  Indian  Character : 

"My  father,  John  Ash,  was  one  of  the  earliest 
emigrants  to  Kentucky,  and  settled  near  Bardstown, 
Nelson  county,  many  miles  from  any  other  white 
settlement.  In  the  month  of  March,  1780,  when  I 
was  about  ten  years  of 'lige,  we  were  attacked  by  the 
Shawnee  Indians ;  a  part  of  the  family  was  killed,  the 
rest  were  taken  prisoners.  "We  were  separated  from 
each  other,  and,  excepting  a  younger  sister,  who  was 
taken  by  the  same  party  that  had  me  in  possession,  I 
saw  none  of  my  family  for  seventeen  years. 


STORY    OF    GEORGE    ASH.  433 

"  My  sister  was  small;  they  carried  her  two  or  three 
days,  but  she  cried,  and  gave  them  trouble,  and  they 
tomahawked  and  scalped  her,  and  left  her  lying  on 
the  ground.  I  was,  after  this,  transferred  from  one 
family  to  another,  several  times,  and  treated  harshly, 
and  called  a  '  white  dog,'  till  at  length  I  was  domesti- 
cated in  a  family,  and  considered  a  member  of  it. 
After  this,  my  treatment  was  like  that  of  other  chil- 
dren of  the  tribe. 

"The  Shawnees,  at  this  time,  lived  on  the  Big 
Miami,  about  twenty  miles  above  Dayton.  Here  we 
continued  until  General  Clark  came  out,  and  attacked 
us,  and  burnt  our  town.  We  then  removed  to  St. 
Mary's,  and  continued  there  about  two  years.  After 
this,  we  removed  to  Fort  Wayne,  on  the  Maumee ; 
here  we  were  attacked  by  General  Harmar ;  we  then 
removed  to  the  Anglaize  River,  and  continued  there 
some  years.  While  there,  General  St.  Clair  came  out 
against  us.  Eight  hundred  and  fifty  warriors  went 
out  to  meet  him,  and  on  their  way  were  joined  by 
fifty  Kickapoos. 

"  The  two  armies  met  about  two  hours  before  sun* 
set.  When  the  Indians  were  within  about  half  a  mile 
of  St.  Clair,  the  spies  came  running  back  to  inform 
us,  and  we  stopped.  We  concl^^ded  to  encamp;  ^it 
was  too  late,'  they  said,  ^to  begin  the  play,'  they  would 
defer  the  sport  till  next  morning. 

"  General  Blue  Jacket  was  our  commander.  After 
dark,  he  called  all  the  chiefs  around  him,  to  listen  to 
what  he  had  to  say.  ^  Our  fathers,'  said  he,  '  used  to 
do  as  we  now  do ;  our  tribes  used  to  fight  other  tribe 

55  2  0 


434  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

— they  could  trust  to  their  own  strength  and  their 
numbers;  but  in  this  conflict,  we  have  no  such  re- 
liance ;  our  power  and  our  numbers  bear  no  compari- 
son to  those  of  our  enemy,  and  we  can  do  nothing, 
unless  assisted  by  our  Great  Father  above.  I  pray 
now,'  continued  Blue  Jacket,  raising  his  eyes  to 
heaven,  '  that  he  will  be  with  us  to-night,  and  (it  was 
now  snowing)  that  to-morrow,  he  will  cause  the  sun 
to  shine  out  clear  upon  us,  and  we  will  take  it  as  a 
token  of  good,  and  we  shall  conquer.' " 

Blue  Jacket  appears  to  have  been  a  priest,  as  well 
as  a  warrior. 

"About  an  hour  before  day,  orders  were  given  for 
every  man  to  be  ready  to  march.  On  examination, 
it  was  found  that  three  fires,  or  camps,  consisting  of 
fifty  Pottawattomies,  had  deserted  us.  We  marched 
till  we  got  within  sight  of  the  fires  of  St.  Clair ;  then 
General  Blue  Jacket  began  to  talk,  and  to  sing  a 
hymn,  as  Indians  sing  hymns."  Here  the  narrator 
mentioned  some  ceremony,  that  I  did  not  well  under- 
stand. "  The  fight  commenced,  and  continued  for  an 
hour  or  more,  when  the  Indians  retreated.  As  they 
were  leaving  the  ground,  a  chief,  by  the  name  of 
Black  Fish,  ran  in  among  them,  and,  in  the  voice  of 
thunder,  asked  them  what  they  were  doing,  where 
they  were  going,  and  who  had  given  them  orders  to 
retreat  ?  This  called  a  halt,  and  he  proceeded  in  a 
strain  of  the  most  impassioned  eloquence,  to  exhort 
them  to  courage,  and  to  '  deeds  of  daring/  and  con- 
cluded with  saying, '  that  whatever  the  determination 
of  others  might  be,  he  knew  not,  but,  for  himself,  his 


STORY    OF    GEORGE    ASH.  435 

determination  was,  to  conquer  or  die !  '  You  who  are 
like-minded,  follow  me!'  and  they  raised  the  war- 
whoop — which  is,  ^  we  conquer  or  die  !' 

"  The  attack  was  most  impetuous,  and  the  carnage, 
for  a  few  moments,  shocking.  Many  of  the  Indians 
threw  away  their  guns,  leaped  in  among  the  Ameri- 
cans, and  did  the  butchery  with  a  tomahawk.  In  a 
few  moments,  the  Americans  gave  way ;  the  Indians 
took  possession  of  the  camp  and  the  artillery,  spiked 
the  guns,  and  parties  of  Indians  followed  the  retreat- 
ing army  many  miles.  Eleven  hundred  Americans 
were  left  dead  on  the  field.  The  number  of  Indians 
killed,  together  with  those  who  afterwards  died  of 
their  wounds,  amounted  to  only  thirty-five  ! 

"  In  this  battle,  a  ball  passed  through  the  back  of 
Ash's  neck;  he  fell,  and  says,  his  recollection  re- 
turned while  an  Indian  was  carrying  him  away  on  his 
back." 

Many  years  afterwards,  Ash  ascertained  that  he 
had  a  brother  in  St.  Clair's  army,  who  was  killed  in 
this  battle.  Who  can  say  that  he  did  not  direct  the 
ball  that  did  the  fatal  work  ? — for,  all  who  have  seen 
Ash  will  allow  that  he  was  not  a  man  to  be  idle  in 
battle. 

"  After  this  battle,  I  started,  with  eight  others,  on 
an  embassy  to  the  Creek  Nation.  Our  object  was,  to 
renew  the  friendly  relations  between  that  nation  and 
our  own  tribe,  and  two  of  our  number  were  regularly 
accredited  ambassadors,  for  that  purpose.  We  made 
a  visit  of  a  year,  and  were  successful  in  the  objects  of 
our  mission.     The  nations  north  of  the  Ohio  were 


436  THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 

desirous   of  strengthening    themselves    against  the 
whites,  by  foreign  alliances. 

"  While  we  were  absent,  our  tribe  had  had  a  battle 
with  the  whites,  near  Fort  Hamilton.  The  Ameri- 
can army  was  commanded,  I  think,  by  General 
Bradley. 

"After  our  return,  Wayne  came  out  against  us 
with  eight  thousand  men.  We  sent  out  runners  to 
all  nations,  to  collect  together  warriors,  and  soon  an 
army  of  fifteen  hundred  men  was  in  the  field.  We 
marched  on  to  meet  Wayne,  who  then  lay  at  Fort 
Recovery.  We  took  one  of  Wayne's  spies  in  our 
march — a  Chickasaw.  He  was  taken  to  the  Indian 
army,  that  he  might  give  us  some  account  of  Wayne's 
movements.  But  the  Indians  were  so  enraged  at  him, 
for  his  treachery,  that  they  fell  upon  him,  in  the  midst 
of  his  narrative,  and  killed  him.  Our  army  was  then 
in  great  want  of  provisions.  The  Chippeway  Indians 
cut  Mm  up,  roasted,  and  ate  him, 

"  Near  Fort  Recovery  we  met  a  party  of  the  Ameri- 
can army,  and  fought  them — without  much  success — 
and  returned  home.  Wayne  marched  on  the  towns, 
and  only  three  hundred  warriors  could  be  mustered  to 
meet  him.  We  went  out,  however,  and  fought  him 
in  two  battles,  within  three  days  of  each  other. 
These  battles'  were  fought  near  Fort  Wayne,  and  the 
place  where  they  were  fought  are  not  more  than  five 
miles  from  each  other.  The  Indians  were,  in  fact, 
conquered,  and  the  war  ended.  General  Blue  Jacket 
that  winter  hoisted  the  flag  of  truce,  and  marched 
iniio  Greenville  to  treat  with  Wayne." 


STORY    OF    GEORGE    ASH.  437 

"We  are  all  familiarly  acquainted  with  the  history 
of  these  Indian  wars — of  the  gallant,  but  unfortunate 
St.  Clair — and  of  the  chivalrous  and  successful  Wayne. 
This,  for  aught  I  know,  is  the  first  Indian  account  of 
these  transactions  that  has  appeared;  and,  if  it  is 
correct — and  I  have  abundant  reason  to  think  it  is — 
it  must  go,  at  least,  to  diminish  our  censure  of  St. 
Clair,  if  it  does  not  detract  from  the  credit  of  Wayne. 
St.  Clair  sufiered  himself  to  be  surprised  by  the  In- 
dians in  their  own  territory — a  fault  which  Washing- 
ton thought  admitted  of  no  excuse  ;  besides,  his  army 
exceeded  the  enemy's  in  numbers.  But,  when  we 
take  into  consideration  his  ignorance  of  Indian  war- 
fare, and  that  he  had  to  fight  them  in  their  own 
wilds,  we  must  acknowledge  the  disparity  was  not 
very  great.  By  their  own  showing,  likewise,  their 
army  consisted  of  nearly  a  thousand  men — and  such 
men  as  are  not  easily  conquered  by  any  force — ^for 
their  motto  was  "  We  conquer,  or  die." 

Ash  had  now  been  with  the  savages  seventeen 
years.  He  had  long  identified  himself  with  them, 
spoke  their  language  perfectly,  and  had  almost  for- 
gotten his  own ;  and  had  adopted  their  dress,  and  all 
their  modes  of  life.  His  right  ear  is  fixed  in  a  pe- 
culiar manner  for  the  purpose  of  wearing  jewels. 
The  edge  of  the  ear,  about  a  third  of  an  inch  deep, 
is  cut  off,  excepting  at  the  ends  where  the  ear  joins 
the  head.  This  rim  hangs  down  on  the  face,  and 
serves  as  a  kind  of  loop.  The  parting  gristle  of  the 
nose  is  perforated ;  there  is  likewise  a  hole  in  his  left 
ear.     I  made  some  inquiries  as  to  his  painting.     He 

2o  2 


438  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

said  he  painted,  and  wore  about  a  hundred  dollars' 
worth  of  silver  in  ornaments,  when  he  visited  the 
ladies.  In  his  nose,  he  wore  three  silver  crosses  and 
seven  half  moons,  valued  from  five  to  six  hundred 
dollars ;  and,  as  he  proceeded  to  describe  his  decora- 
tions for  these  excursions  of  gallantry,  and  the  re- 
ception he  met  with,  I  could  not  but  reflect  upon  the 
effect  which  ornament  has  with  the  fair  in  all  ages 
and  among  all  nations. 

"  After  peace,"  proceeded  he,  "  I  told  the  Indians  I 
wanted  to  go  to  the  white  settlements,  and  see  if  any 
of  my  family  were  living.  They,  at  first,  made  ob- 
jections, but  finally  consented;  and,  in  full  dress, 
with  a  good  horse,  a  good  gun,  and  a  good  hunting 
dog,  I  started  for  Fort  Pitt. 

"  Having  travelled  alone  fourteen  days  in  the  wil- 
derness, I  arrived  at  my  place  of  destination.  I  there 
found  a  brother,  and  learned  that  my  father  was  still 
living  in  Kentucky.  After  staying  some  time  at  Fort 
Pitt,  I  was  employed  by  a  gentleman  as  a  guide 
through  the  wilderness  to  Detroit.  When  we  arrived 
in  the  neighbourhood  of  Detroit,  I  told  my  employer 
lie  might  go  on,  and  that  I  would  spend  the  winter 
among  the  Indians  with  my  wife :  for  I  had  taken  a 
wife  before  I  left  them.  He  called  for  me  in  the 
spring,  and  we  returned  to  Fort  Pitt  together. 

"  I  there  sold  my  horse,  and  proceeded  down  the 
Ohio  river  in  a  boat,  with  the  intention  of  visiting 
my  father.  I  arrived  at  his  house  in  the  night,  called 
him  up,  and  requested  entertainment  for  the  night. 
He  denied  such  a  request  to  no  man,  whoever  he 


STORY    OF    GEORGE    ASH.  439 

might  be,  but  evidently  was  not  much  pleased  with 
my  appearance,  for  I  was  still  in  my  Indian  costume, 
and  could  speak  but  a  few  words  of  English. 

"  He  paid  me  but  little  attention,  gave  a  servant 
some  orders  about  my  lodging,  and  was  about  retiring 
to  bed,  when  I  drew  him  into  a  conversation,  by  ask- 
ing some  questions  about  his  family.  I  asked  him  if 
he  had  not  a  son  George  (many  years  before)  taken  by 
the  Indians.  He  replied  that  he  had — that  he  had 
heard  he  was  in  St.  Clair's  defeat,  and  was  killed.  I 
assured  him  that  the  report  was  incorrect,  and  that 
I  knew  something  of  his  son.  He  asked  with  eager- 
ness where  he  was.  I  replied,  ^  He  now  stands  before 
you^  He  looked  at  me  with  searching  scrutiny  for  a 
few  moments,  and  commenced  pacing  the  room.  He 
walked  up  and  down  the  room  for  two  hours,  before 
he  uttered  another  syllable.  '  Would  you  know  your 
brother  Henry,'  said  he,  at  last,  *if  you  should  see 
him  ?'  I  told  him  '  No : — for  he  was  a  mere  infant 
when  I  went  away.'  He  thought  I  should,  and, 
though  late  in  the  evening,  rode  several  miles  to 
bring  him." 

In  this  part  of  the  narration  I  perceived  that  Ash's 
eyes  grew  moist,  and  that  his  voice  was  husky.  He 
rose  to  depart,  but,  by  some  entreaty,  he  was  induced 
to  return,  and  continue  his  tale. 

"  My  father,"  said  he,  "  had  become  wealthy,  pos- 
sessing negroes  and  fine  horses  in  abundance.  But 
my  mother  was  dead,  and  my  father  had  married  a 
second  wife,  who  was  not  backward  in  letting  me 
know  that  that  was  no  place  for  me. 


440  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

"  I  started  again  for  the  Indian  country,  crossed  the 
Ohio,  and  pitched  my  camp  on  the  spot  where  my 
house  now  stands,  on  the  bank  of  the  Ohio,  exactly 
opposite  the  mouth  of  the  Kentucky. 

"After  hunting  for  some  time,  I  determined  to 
make  another  visit  to  my  red  brethren,  and  a  friend 
gave  me  a  horse  to  ride.  I  found  them  preparing  a 
deputation  for  their  great  father,  the  President,  and 
nothing  would  do  but  that  I  should  make  one  of  the 
party.  With  a  number  of  chiefs  I  set  out  for  Phila- 
delphia, and,  after  visiting  the  President  and  all  the 
great  people  there,  and  by  them,  no  doubt,  thought  a 
very  good  Indian,  I  returned  to  my  old  camp,  where 
I  now  live. 

"Asa  compensation  for  my  services  on  this  mission, 
the  Indians  granted  me  a  tract  of  land,  opposite  the 
mouth  of  the  Kentucky,  four  miles  in  length  on  the 
river,  and  one  mile  back.  When  the  territory  was 
ceded  to  the  United  States,  the  Indians  neglected  to 
reserve  my  grant.  I  had  cultivated  some  parts  of  my 
land,  and  it  was  worth  more  than  the  government 
price.  It  was  offered  for  sale,  and  I  petitioned  Con- 
gress to  secure  to  me  what  was  in  fact  my  own.  They 
denied  me  the  request,  but  permitted  me  to  purchase 
as  much  as  I  could  at  the  government  price ! 

"  I  had  considered  myself  rich  in  lands,  but  I  was 
poor  in  cash,  and  my  domain  was  reduced  to  about 
two  hundred  acres.  On  this  I  have  lived  ever  since ; 
and  this  completes  the  history  of  George  Ash." 


THE    SIOUX    AND    CHIEF    WAHKTAGELI. 


441 


From  the  Travels  of  Maximilian,  Prince  of  Wied.  ^^BCSoH  Lll 

The  Dacotas,  or  Sioux,  called  by  the  Ojibuas  or 
Chippeways,  Nandoesi,  or  Nadowassis,  are  still  one 
of  the  most  numerous  Indian  tribes  in  North 
America.  Pike  stated  their  number  at  21,575  souls, 
and  they  are  still  reckoned  at  20,000;  nay,  some 
even  affirm  that  they  are  still  able  to  furnish  15,000 
warriors,  which  seems  rather  too  high  an  estimate. 
Major  Long,  who  gives  much  information  respecting 
this  people,  calculates  their  number  at  28,100,  of 
which  7,055  are  warriors,  the  nation  possessing 
2,330  tents,  which  agrees  pretty  nearly  with  the 
statements  we  received  on  the  Missouri.  If  we 
add  the  Assiniboins,  who  are  of  the  same  origin,  and 

56 


442  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

who  are  estimated  at  28,000,  we  shall  have  for  all 
the  Dacotas  56,100  souls,  of  whom  14,055  are  war- 
riors, and  the  number  of  their  tents  5,330.  Major 
Long  is  of  opinion  that  they  cannot  be  calculated  at 
less  than  25,000  souls  and  6,000  warriors;  20,000 
is,  therefore,  not  too  high  an  estimate. 

The  territory  which  they  inhabit  extends  from  Big 
Sioux  Eiver,  between  the  Missouri  and  the  Missis- 
sippi, down  the  latter  to  Kock  river,  and  northwards 
to  Elk  river;  then  westwards,  in  a  line  which  in- 
cludes the  sources  of  St.  Peter's  river,  and  reaches 
the  Missouri  below  the  Mandan  villages,  stretches 
down  it,  crosses  it  near  Hart  river,  and  includes  the 
whole  country  on  the  western  bank  to  the  Black  Hills 
about  Teton  river  as  far  as  Shannon  river.  The 
Sioux  are  divided  into  several  branches,  which  all 
speak  the  same  language,  with  some  deviations. 
Three  principal  branches  live  on  the  Missouri,  viz. 
the  Yanktons  or  Yanktoans,  the  Tetons  or  Titoans,  and 
the  Yanktonans  or  Yanktoanons.  The  Mende-Wa- 
kan-Toann,  or  the  people  of  the  Spirit  Lake,  and 
some  others,  live  on  the  Mississippi.  All  these 
branches  together  are,  as  Major  Long  says,  divided 
by  the  traders  into  two  great  classes — the  Gens  du 
Lac  and  the  Gens  du  Large;  ^.  e,  those  who  live 
near  the  Spirit  Lake,  and  are  now  chiefly  found 
on  the  banks  of  the  Mississippi,  and  those  who  roam 
about  in  the  prairies.  The  Yanktoanons  are  said  to 
constitute  one-fifth  of  all  the  Dacotas,  and  the  Tetons 
the  half  of  the  whole  nation. 

The  Dacotas  roam  as  far  as  the  territory  of  the 


THE    SIOUX    AND    CHIEF    WAHKTAGELl.  443 

Puncas,  over  the  Black  Hills,  to  the  Arkansas,  and 
westwards  to  the  Rocky  Mountains  into  the  territory 
of  the  Crows,  on  the  Yellow  Stone  river,  &c.  Pike 
makes  them,  as  well  as  the  Pawnees,  descend  from 
the  Tartars ;  but  many  objections  may  be  made  to 
this  notion,  as  the  affinity  of  the  North  Americans 
and  the  people  of  Asia  is  not  proved,  and  the  resem- 
blance between  them  appears  to  be  very  limited.  In 
general,  these  Indians  have  more  strongly-marked 
countenances  and  higher  cheek-bones  than  many 
other  tribes  on  the  Missouri,  nor  are  their  features  so 
regular  or  pleasing ;  yet  there  is  no  considerable  dif- 
ference in  their  physiognomy.  Bradbury  says  they 
are  much  inferior  in  stature  to  the  Osages,  Mandans, 
and  Puncas,  and  by  no  means  so  robust ;  but  this 
assertion  must  be  very  much  restricted,  because  there 
are  many  tall  men  among  the  Dacotas.  The  Yank- 
tons  live  in  Sioux  Agency,  or  the  furthest  down  the 
Missouri,  among  which  tribe  we  now  were.  All  these 
Dacotas  of  the  Missouri,  as  well  as  most  of  those  of 
the  Mississippi,  are  only  hunters,  and,  in  their  excur- 
sions, always  live  in  portable  leather  tents.  Only 
two  branches  of  them  are  exceptions  to  this  rule, 
especially  the  Wahch-Pe-Kutch,  on  the  Mississippi, 
who  cultivate  maize  and  other  plants,  and  therefore 
live  in  fixed  villages.  All  these  Indians  have  great 
numbers  of  horses  and  dogs,  the  latter  of  which 
often  serve  them  as  food.  The  Dacotas,  on  the  Mis- 
souri, were  formerly  dangerous  enemies  to  the  whites. 
Bradbury  calls  them  blood-thirsty  savages ;  whereas 
now,  with   the  exception  of  the  Yanktonans,  they 


444  THRILLING    ADVENTURES. 

bear  a  very  good  character,  and  constantly  keep  peace 
with  the  whites.  Pike  seems  to  have  too  high  an 
idea  of  their  valour ;  at  least  this  is  the  opinion  now 
entertained  on  the  Missouri.  Such  of  these  Indians 
as  reside  near  the  whites  are  frequently  connected 
with  them  by  marriages,  and  depend  on  them  for 
support.  They  then  become  negligent  hunters,  in- 
dolent, and  consequently  poor.  This  was  partly  the 
case  at  Sioux  Agency,  where  they  rarely  possessed 
more  than  two  horses.  One  of  the  most  considerable 
men  among  them,  wholly  devoted  to  the  whites,  was 
Wahktageli,  called  the  Big  Soldier,  a  tall,  good-look- 
ing man,  about  sixty  years  of  age,  with  a  high  aqui- 
line nose  and  large  animated  eyes.  Besides  him, 
there  were  several  elderly,  and  some  slender  young 
men  of  this  nation  here.  They  had,  in  general,  a 
rather  narrow,  oval  countenance  ;  narrow,  long  eyes, 
and  aquiline,  or  straight,  well-formed  noses;  their 
colour  was  a  dark  brown.  They  wore  their  hair 
hanging  down  long  over  the  shoulders,  and  often 
platted  en  queue;  the  older  men,  however,  let  it  hang 
loosely,  cut  off  a  little  below  the  neck,  and  turned 
back  from  the  forehead.  Younger  people  generally 
wore  it  parted,  a  large  lock  hanging  down  on  the 
nose.  Young  men  had  the  upper  part  of  the  body 
only  wrapped  in  their  large  white  or  painted  buffalo 
hides.  They  had  long  strings  of  blue  and  white 
wampum  shells  in  their  ears.  Some  of  them  wore 
one,  two,  or  three  feathers,  which  were  partly  stripped 
till  towards  the  point. 

Mr.  Bodmer  having  expressed  a  wish,  immediately 


THE    SIOUX   AND    CHIEF    WAHKTAGELI.  445 

on  the  arrival  of  the  Big  Soldier,  to  paint  his  portrait 
at  full  length,  he  appeared  in  his  complete  state  dress. 
His  face  was  painted  red  with  vermilion,  and  with 
short,  black,  parallel,  transverse  stripes  on  the  cheeks. 
On  his  head  he  wore  long  feathers  of  birds  of  prey, 
which  were  tokens  of  his  warlike  exploits,  particu- 
larly of  the  enemies  he  had  slain.  They  were  fast- 
ened in  a  horizontal  position  with  strips  of  red  cloth. 
In  his  ears  he  wore  long  strings  of  blue  glass  beads ; 
and  on  his  breast,  suspended  from  his  neck,  the  great 
silver  medal  of  the  United  States.  His  leather  leg- 
gins,  painted  with  dark  crosses  and  stripes,  were  very 
neatly  ornamented  with  a  broad  embroidered  stripe 
of  yellow,  red,  and  sky-blue  figures,  consisting  of 
dyed  porcupine  quills ;  and  his  shoes  were  adorned  in 
the  same  manner.  His  buffalo  robe  was  tanned 
white,  and  he  had  his  tomahawk  or  battle-axe  in  his 
hand.  (See  his  portrait,  which  is  a  striking  likeness, 
in  the  frontispiece  to  this  volume.)  He  appeared  to 
stand  very  willingly  as  a  model  for  Mr.  Bodmer,  and 
remained  the  whole  day  in  the  position  required, 
which,  in  general,  the  Indians  find  it  difficult  to  do. 
The  remainder  of  these  people  were  now  entirely 
without  ornaments,  naked,  and  the  upper  parts  of 
their  bodies  not  at  all  painted,  but  only  wrapped  in 
their  buffalo  robes.  On  their  backs  they  carried  their 
quivers,  which  were  made  of  leather,  in  which  their 
arrows  are  kept.  They  carry  their  bows  in  their  hands. 
The  features  of  the  women  resembled,  on  the 
whole,  those  we  have  already  described;  yet,  their 
faces,  for  the  most  part,  were  not  so  broad  and  flat  as 

2P 


446  THRILLING    ADVENTURES, 

those  of  the  Saukies  or  Musquake  women,  and  some 
were  even  pretty.  The  tents  of  the  Sioux  are  high 
pointed  cones,  made  of  strong  poles,  covered  with 
buffalo  skins,  closely  sewed  together.  These  skins 
are  scraped  on  both  sides,  so  that  they  become  as 
transparent  as  parchment,  and  give  free  admission  to 
the  light.  At  the  top,  where  the  poles  meet,  or  cross 
each  other,  there  is  an  opening  to  let  out  the  smoke, 
which  they  endeavour  to  close  by  a  piece  of  the  skin 
covering  of  the  tent,  fixed  to  a  separate  pole  standing 
upright,  and  fastened  to  the  upper  part  of  the  cover- 
ing on  the  side  from  which  the  wind  blows.  The 
door  is  a  slit  in  the  front  of  the  tent,  which  is  gene- 
rally closed  by  another  piece  of  buffalo  hide  stretched 
upon  a  frame.  A  small  fire  is  kept  up  in  the  centre 
of  the  tent.  Poles  are  stuck  in  the  ground  near  the 
tent,  and  utensils  of  various  kinds  are  suspended 
from  them.  There  are,  likewise,  stages  on  which  to 
hang  the  newly-tanned  hides ;  others,  with  gayly- 
painted  parchment  pouches  and  bags,  on  some  of 
which  they  hang  their  bows,  arrows,  quivers,  leather- 
shields,  spears,  and  war-clubs. 

We  paid  a  visit  to  Wahktageli  in  his  tent,  and  had 
some  difficulty  in  creeping  into  the  narrow,  low  en- 
trance, after  pulling  aside  the  skin  that  covered  it. 
The  inside  of  this  tent  was  light,  and  it  was  about 
ten  paces  in  diameter.  Buffalo  skins  were  spread  on 
the  ground,  upon  which  we  sat  down.  Between  us 
and  the  side  of  the  tent  were  a  variety  of  articles, 
such  as  pouches,  boxes,  saddles,  arms,  &c.  A  rela- 
tion of  the  chief  was  employed  in  making  arrows, 


THE    SIOUX   AND    CHIEF    WAttKTAGELI.  447 

which  were  finished  very  neatly  and  with  great  care. 
Wahktageli  immediately,  with  much  gravity,  handed 
the  tobacco-pipe  round,  and  seemed  to  inhale  the  pre- 
cious smoke  with  great  delight.  His  wife  was  pre- 
sent; their  children  were  married.  The  conversa- 
tion was  carried  on  by  Cephier,  the  interpreter  kept 
by  the  Agency,  who  accompanied  us  on  this  visit. 
It  is  the  custom  with  all  the  North  American  In- 
dians, on  paying  a  visit,  to  enter  in  perfect  silence, 
to  shake  hands  with  the  host,  and  unceremoniously 
sit  down  beside  him.  Refreshments  are  then  pre- 
sented, which  the  Big  Soldier  could  not  do,  as  he  him- 
self stood  in  need  of  food.  After  this  the  pipe  circu- 
lates. The  owner  of  a  neighbouring  tent  had  killed 
a  large  elk,  the  skin  of  which  the  women  were  then 
busily  employed  in  dressing.  They  had  stretched  it 
out,  by  means  of  leather  straps,  on  the  ground  near 
the  tent,  and  the  women  were  scraping  off  the  parti- 
cles of  flesh  and  fat  with  a  very  well-contrived  in- 
strument. It  is  made  of  bone,  sharpened  at  one  end 
and  furnished  with  little  teeth  like  a  saw,  and  at  the 
other  end  a  strap,  which  is  fastened  round  the  wrist. 
The  skin  is  scraped  with  the  sharp  side  of  this  instru- 
ment till  it  is  perfectly  clean.  Several  Indians  have 
iron  teeth  fixed  to  this  bone.  Besides  this  operation, 
we  took  particular  notice  of  the  harness  of  the  dogs 
and  horses,  hanging  up  near  the  tent,  both  these  ani- 
mals being  indispensable  to  the  Indians  to  transport 
their  baggage  on  their  journeys.  Even  tlie  great  tent, 
with  many  long,  heavy  poles,  is  carried  by  horses,  as 
well  as  the  semi-globular,  transparent  wicker  pan- 


448 


THRILLING   ADVENTURES. 


niers,  under  which  the  little  children  are  protected 
against  sun  and  rain  by  spreading  blankets  and  skins 
over  them.  Smaller  articles  are  conveyed  by  the  dogs. 
Many  of  the  Sioux  are  rich,  and  have  twenty  or  more 
horses,  which  they  obtained  originally  from  the  Span- 
iards on  the  Mississippi  and  the  frontier  of  New  Mexi- 
co on  the  Oregon ;  but  which  are  now  found  in  great 
numbers  among  the  several  Indian  nations.  One 
of  their  most  important  employments  is  to  steal 
horses ;  and  the  theft  of  one  of  these  animals  from 
another  nation  is  considered  as  an  exploit,  and  as 
much,  nay  more  honoured  than  the  killing  of  an 
enemy.  The  dogs,  whose  flesh  is  eaten  by  the  Sioux, 
are  equally  valuable  to  the  Indians.  In  shape,  they 
differ  very  little  from  the  wolf,  and  are  equally  large 
and  strong.  Some  are  of  the  real  wolf  colour ;  others 
black,  white,  or  spotted  with  black  and  white,  and 
differing  only  by  the  tail  being  rather  more  turned 
up.  Their  voice  is  not  a  proper  barking,  but  a  howl, 
like  that  of  the  wolf,  and  they  partly  descend  from 
wolves,  which  approach  the  Indian  huts  even  in  the 
daytime  and  mix  with  the  dogs. 


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